A NORTHERN Irish man is being held by police in Thailand after a dismembered body was found in a freezer.
Peter Andrew Coulter, 58, from Northern Ireland, was arrested on Friday following a raid at a property in Bangkok where police found the corpse.
The raid was carried out after on a tip off that the premises were used by a passport forgery gang, reports the Bangkok Post.
The premises was bought by Coulter a year ago.
Two other men, both American nationals, James Douglas Eger, 66, and Aaron Thomas Gabel, 33, were arrested alongside Coulter in the raid.
The trio were charged with multiple offences including resisting arrest, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, forging official documents and concealing a corpse.
Coulter is facing additional charges of attempting to kill a police officer as he opened fire on police during the raid, injuring an officer.
The body, which was found in a freezer, chopped into six pieces and wrapped in plastic, is believed to be that of an older, blonde haired European male.
Police believe the man died eight years ago and may have been dismembered with a chainsaw.
Tests on the corpse's DNA from the teeth are underway to identify the man after fingerprint identification failed as the body had been frozen for a sustained period.
Thai police are also seeking assistance from the FBI to determine the identity of the man.
Coulter, who told police he was a chemist and married to a Thai woman, said he inherited the freezer four months ago from a friend who died of cancer and he had no idea what was in it.
However, police found the key to the freezer in Coulter's bedroom.
Police also found an additional American passport for Coulter, naming him as William Peter Johnson.
Commander of the Tourism Police, Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal said Coulter was the ringleader of the transnational passport forgery gang.
Police have established that Coulter has been in Thailand for five years, although Immigration authorities have no record of him.
Police have received judicial permission to detain the three men until October 5.
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