TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Seven Thai nationals have been arrested after an undocumented Thai migrant worker is suspected of being murdered and buried in a mountainous area of west Taiwan. 

The Thai national reported to be working illegally in Miaoli County was allegedly murdered by his compatriots on Sunday evening (Sept.15), per Liberty Times. The man's daughter reached out to Taiwanese police from abroad for help. 

Miaoli police received the report of the missing person and Tuesday arrested five missing Thai migrant workers at an abandoned house in Miaoli's Gongguan Township. Early Thursday morning two additional suspects accused of the murder and burial were also arrested. 

According to police, the deceased was a 47-year-old Thai man known as “Ah Er" (阿二). He entered Taiwan in May last year on a 15-day tourist visa, overstayed, and was taken to Miaoli to work illegally. 

On Sunday evening, he was drinking and eating with several compatriots at a rented house when, reportedly, he suddenly died.

Ah Er's girlfriend said she had gone out to buy something when she received a call from a compatriot telling her, "Ah Er is done for," urging her to return quickly. Upon her return, she found Ah Er unresponsive, his tongue protruding, and not breathing. 

None of those present took Ah Er to the hospital for emergency treatment. Instead, they contacted their employer, a man surnamed Teng (鄧), and decided to transport the body to the mountains for burial.

That night, Ah Er's Thai compatriots went to the mountains to dig a hole. The next morning, Teng drove the body to the burial site, where a simple ceremony was held before burying the body. 

Ah Er’s girlfriend informed his eldest daughter in Thailand that her father had died of illness and sent photos and videos as proof, showing that the burial was handled locally.

However, Ah Er's daughter was suspicious of the cause of her father's death and sought help from a teacher in Yilan surnamed Wang (王), who worked as an interpreter. Wang, through his contacts with the police, reached out to the Miaoli police, who located and arrested five undocumented Thai workers. 

The police also discovered and exhumed Ah Er's body in the mountainous area of Gongguan Township's Fuji Village.

During the autopsy on Wednesday (Sept. 18), authorities found no obvious external injuries on Ah Er’s body. However, a compatriot said a 31-year-old Thai worker known as "Ah Bo" had a dispute with Ah Er and allegedly beat him over a minor issue that night. 

After the incident, Ah Bo insisted on not reporting the death to the police and left the rented house after burying the body.

Police suspect the case may involve foul play. They set up surveillance at the workers' rented house. At around 5 a.m. Thursday, police arrested Ah Bo and another suspect when they returned to retrieve their suitcases. 

The case is being investigated on charges of homicide and abandoning a corpse. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday afternoon to determine the cause of death, and the police are continuing to search for Teng, who is currently at large.