Canadian accused of killing Indian-origin gangster extradited to Thailand
Darpan News Desk IANS, 31 May, 2023 01:23 PM
Toronto, May 31 (IANS) A former Canadian soldier and alleged hitman has been extradited to Thailand where he has been charged with the murder of an Indian-origin gangster in Phuket last year, media reports said.
Matthew Dupre, 38, who allegedly gunned down Jimi 'Slice' Sandhu in February 2022, arrived in Bangkok on a special air force flight on Sunday night, The Bangkok Post reported.
Sandhu, who grew up in Abbotsford, was connected to the United Nation Gang, which was founded in the Fraser Valley in 1997.
On February 11, 2022, the Phuket court issued a warrant for the arrest of Dupre and his alleged accomplice on charges of premeditated murder, having guns and ammunition in possession without permission and illegally carrying and using the guns in public.
A police investigation later found the two suspects left Thailand for Canada on February 6, the report said.
Dupre was arrested on February 20, 2022 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at his home in Sylvan Lake, Alberta.
His extradition was approved last December by the Court of Alberta, Edmonton, under the 1999 Extradition Act of Canada.
The second wanted suspect killer in the case died in a small-plane crash in Canada in May 2022.
Dupre denied all the charges against him, media reports said citing police officials.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday Canada and the U.S. were co-operating and in constant communication about the situation, adding both countries and the North American Aerospace Defence Command are taking the situation very seriously.
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The driver of the vehicle, a 17-year old female, was uninjured. She remained at scene and was cooperative with investigators. Both pedestrians were not on the roadway during the collision. All persons involved are from Richmond.
