Thai police are racing to solve the baffling disappearance of two Russian siblings after detectives uncovered their dismantled motorbike buried in a forest and identified two suspects they wanted to question over the case.
Diana Nazimova, 22, and her 17-year-old brother Roman Nazimov have been missing since the early hours of July 26. They left their stay in Pattaya on a black-and-grey Honda ADV 150. Investigators say Diana told her mother before they vanished that she felt someone was following them.
CCTV footage later showed another motorcycle following them before all contact was lost.
The search has now gone on for five days, with police, rescue workers, and volunteers searching the woods in Chonburi province. On July 29, they found the siblings’ bike dismantled and buried about 200 metres from a road in the Huai Yai area.
The discovery came after local officials reportedly spotted four men carrying shovels near the site. The group fled before officers arrived. Police initially feared they had uncovered a burial site, but excavations revealed only the motorcycle hidden beneath the ground.
Gunshots, screams, and two suspects wanted by police
Over 200 police officers, rescue workers, and local officials searched the forest after finding the bike. They divided the area into sectors to look for the missing siblings, but after hours of searching, found no further trace of Diana or Roman.
Thai media reported that local residents told investigators they heard two bursts of gunfire coming from the forest on the evening of July 26: first three shots, followed by another five to seven. Witnesses also reported hearing male voices shouting, although they were unable to make out what was being said.
Another witness said one of the men police are looking for was recently released from prison and had fired a gun into the air before. Police have not confirmed these claims and are treating them only as witness statements.
What we know about the main suspects
Svetlana Sherstoboeva, who leads a group of Russian volunteers helping with the search, told the state news agency RIA Novosti that investigators are looking for two Thai nationals. One is known as Pong, whose full name is reported as Thanu Katthong, and the other is an associate called Thong.
Tourist police, immigration officers, and local authorities later raided a property connected to Thong, but neither man was found. Thong’s sister reportedly told officers she last saw her brother on the morning of July 26, when he arrived with Pong on a red motorcycle. She said both men were covered in mud and claimed they had been fishing.
Thai media report that police records show Thanu Katthong was previously detained twice for illegal firearms possession and was also investigated in a kidnapping case.
Volatile surrounds
Chonburi province is about 250 kilometres from the Cambodian border. Last year, Thailand had border clashes with Cambodia that left dozens dead and displaced hundreds of thousands on both sides. Recently, authorities across Southeast Asia have stepped up efforts to break up scam networks and human trafficking rings, especially along the borders with Myanmar and Cambodia.
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