A pregnant Thai woman has been charged in a spate of deadly cyanide poisonings that rocked the country.
Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, 36, was arrested in late April and initially charged with one count of premeditated murder in the death of her friend Siriporn Kanwong, who collapsed shortly after meeting up with the suspect on a pier.
But police in Bangkok have since requested arrest warrants in 14 more cases of the alleged murder, of which 13 have already been approved and one was still pending, Deputy National Police Commissioner Gen. Surachate Hakparn said in a press conference last week, reported CNN.
Sararat, who is four months pregnant with her third child, is suspected of poisoning at least 15 people, of whom 14 died and one survived, using cyanide-laced “herb” pills.
She has denied any wrongdoing.
“We have evidence to link her to the [cyanide],” police colonel Anek Thaosuparp said, adding that she may have had access to the poison through a pharmacy run by her older sister.
Police said those who had died were known to Sararat and included friends, an ex-boyfriend, and cops. They said her motive may have been financial, according to broadcaster Thai PBS.
“She asked people she knows for money because she has a lot of credit card debt … and if they asked her for their money back, she started killing them,” Surachate said.
Each of the victims had loaned thousands of dollars to Sararat before dying, according to investigators.
One woman had survived Sararat’s alleged poisoning attempt and was now being questioned.
Police said Sararat allegedly began poisoning people in 2020, but they believe there are more victims out there.
Sararat’s ex-husband, police Lt. Col. Witoon Rangsiwuthaporn, has been charged with accepting stolen property and forging and using forged government documents.
Witoon has denied any knowledge of or involvement in, the poisonings. He was booted from the police force earlier this week after being released on bond.
Sararat first appeared on the police department’s radar on April 14, when her wealthy friend Siriporn suffered a medical emergency while the two women were releasing fish into the Mae Klong River west of Bangkok as part of a Buddhist ritual.
Sararat allegedly left the scene instead of coming to the aid of her dying pal. It was reported that some of Siriporn’s valuables, including cash, phones, and an expensive bag, went missing.
An autopsy performed on the woman found traces of cyanide in her system, police said.
As details of the case began circulating in the Thai media, additional families came forward to report that their loved ones had also died after meeting Sararat for food or drinks.
he woman who was allegedly poisoned but survived said she fell ill and vomited after taking what Sararat had described to her as a cough medicine while the two were at a shopping mall.
