DSI, NCA and CIFS jointly investigated to identify a female corpse found in Yorkshire

DSI, NCA and CIFS jointly investigated to identify a female corpse found in Yorkshire

On Wednesday, February 4, 2019, Pol.Col.Akarapol Punyopashtambha (Director of Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau) attended a meeting between representatives of the DSI, the Central Institute of Forensic Sciences (CIFS) and the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) to summarize the inspection of DNA samples in a case of a female corpse of Asian origin found in Yorkshire, the United Kingdom.

The DSI started its investigations into this case after obtaining a request from the NCA asking the DSI's Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau to inspect a Thai woman named Mrs.Lamduan Armitage who married to an English man and disappeared since 2004 as it might link to an unidentified female body of Asian origin found in the Yorkshire Dales 14 years ago, and a request from Mrs.Setthinaree Veness, the president of Thai Women Network in the UK asking the Special Crime Prevention Network Division of the DSI's Policy and Strategy to take actions in this matter.    

The Director-General (Pol.Col. Paisit Wongmuang) and the Deputy Director- General (Pol.Lt.Col.Prakorn Sucheevakun) assigned Pol.Col.Akarapol Punyopashtambha (Director of Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau) to handle the case.  After the Udon Thani Provincial Justice Office coordinated with the CIFS to collect DNA samples from persons relating to Mrs. Lamduan Armitage as ordered by the Justice Ministry's Deputy Permanent Secretary  Mr.Thawatchai Thaikeaw, the Director of Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau then sent officials from both bureaus of the DSI to Udon Thani Province for coordinating with forensic science officers in Udon Thani Province to collect DNA samples from Lamduan's parents for comparison with the said corpse.

On February 4, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. at the CIFS, Mrs.Setthinaree Veness (the president of Thai Women Network in the UK) empowered by Mrs.Joomsri Sikanya, received the inspection result of the said DNA samples from the CIFS and delivered it the DSI for submitting to the NCA.

The NCA expressed its satisfaction with the progress of this case assisted by Thai agencies under the Ministry of Justice and thanked the DSI and the CIFS for their cooperation.