BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thai woman Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, known as “Aem Cyanide,” was sentenced to life in prison for the cyanide poisoning of a police officer in Nakhon Pathom, after a Bangkok criminal court commuted an initial death sentence.
Life term for poisoning of police major
The criminal court in Bangkok found that Sararat had deliberately poisoned police major Nipa Sangchan, known as “Inspector Pu,” on 1 April 2023 near the Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakhon Pathom. According to the judges, she mixed cyanide into the officer’s food or drinks, leading to acute heart failure triggered by the toxin.
Motive, confession and sentence reduction
The court concluded that Sararat acted with intent to kill in order to gain financially and to conceal fraud she had previously committed against the police officer. Because she confessed and, in the court’s view, provided “useful statements” about the crime, the initially imposed death penalty was reduced to life imprisonment.
Earlier death sentence over friend’s killing
On 20 November 2024, the same court had sentenced Sararat to death for killing her friend Siriporn Khanwong with potassium cyanide. The court found that she mixed potassium cyanide into products consumed by Siriporn, left her dying and then stole her valuables, with lethal cyanide levels later detected in the victim’s organs.
Suspected serial poisonings
Investigators have treated Sararat as a suspected serial poisoner and linked her to a total of 14 additional poisoning cases between 2015 and 2023. Police associated the suspected cases with heavy online gambling, large bank transactions and attempts to conceal evidence, saying they often appeared to involve avoiding debts or stealing valuables.
Arrest, background and pregnancy loss
The woman from Kanchanaburi province was nicknamed “Aem Cyanide” after cyanide traces were found in the bodies of several alleged victims and she was arrested on 25 April 2023 while pregnant. By June 2023, investigators had completed their work in the numerous cases, at a time when, according to police, she suffered a miscarriage in the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy.
Gaps in cyanide regulation
Under current Thai law, the purchase of cyanide requires official permission only above a certain quantity, while smaller amounts can be obtained legally. The case has again raised questions about controls on highly toxic chemicals and possible legal loopholes that offenders may exploit.