Russian siblings Diana and Roman Nazimov were tortured and killed in Thailand over a large financial debt, according to new details reported by Russian news outlet aif.ru.
The 22-year-old woman and her 17-year-old brother were found dead at the foot of Khao Chi Chan mountain after going missing several weeks earlier. Investigators initially suspected an attempted motorcycle theft, but an informed source told the Russian news outlet that the theft theory fails under scrutiny and that the real motive was an unpaid family debt.
According to the source, Diana and Roman left their home on a motorcycle on July 26 to meet creditors and settle part of the outstanding money. However, the pair brought far less cash than expected, prompting the perpetrators to take the young people captive.
The captors then subjected the siblings to violent torture in an attempt to force them to pay the required amount. The source stated that Diana suffered the most severe violence during the ordeal, including having all of her teeth knocked out before both victims were killed.
Burial site and chemical concealment
Following the killings, the attackers dumped the bodies into deep pits and covered them with caustic soda to prevent search dogs from detecting the smell of decomposition. Caustic soda, technically known as sodium hydroxide, is a highly corrosive alkaline chemical compound commonly used in industrial cleaning.
Thai law enforcement officers subsequently arrested two primary suspects, identified as Phong and Thong, who confessed to their involvement and directed police to the hidden grave site. The burial location was situated near Khao Chi Chan, a landmark mountain in Chonburi province near the resort city of Pattaya that is known for its massive cliff-side Buddha carving.
While excavating the burial site at the mountain, officers discovered the remains of an entire additional family buried in the exact same location. Authorities suspect that the same perpetrators may have been responsible for the deaths of that family as well.
Suspects and investigation details
The informed source emphasized that the crime was entirely premeditated rather than a spontaneous act of violence. The insider added that more people participated in the killings than the two men currently detained by police, describing Phong and Thong as merely the tip of the iceberg in the broader criminal plot.
Diana and Roman Nazimov had moved from Russia to settle in Thailand approximately five years ago. Thousands of Russian citizens live and work in Thailand, with significant expatriate communities established in tourist hubs and coastal provinces.
The news report was published by aif.ru, short for Argumenty i Fakty, one of Russia's most widely circulated news publications. Police investigations into the double murder and the discovery of the additional bodies are continuing in Thailand.
