Man accused of killing B.C. gangster extradited to Thailand

Canadian national Matthew Dupre has been successfully extradited to Thailand in connection with the killing last year of a gang member, arriving in Bangkok on a special air force flight, Thai authorities said on Monday.

Dupre, a former Canadian military member, is accused of killing Jimi Sandhu, Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau Commissioner Jirabhop Bhuridej told a news conference.

"The deceased is connected with the United Nation Gang and was linked to the murder of one of the leaders of another gang, called the Red Scorpion, in Canada," Jirabhop said.

Dupre, 38, and a second man with a Canadian military background, Gene Karl Lahrkamp, were accused by the Thai police of travelling to the island of Phuket — about 700 kilometres southwest of Bangkok — to murder Sandhu, a former gangster based in Abbotsford, B.C., who was gunned down by two suspects in hoodies on Feb. 5, 2022.

Both Dupre and Lahrkamp were released from the Canadian Armed Forces as corporals, according to the CAF. 

Dupre was arrested in Alberta and remained in jail before extradition. Lahrkamp was found dead in a mysterious crash of a four-seat Piper PA 28-140 found near Sioux Lookout, Ont., in the early hours of April 30, 2022.

Thai police footage showed Dupre in handcuffs and surrounded by police on an airplane. The extradition involved a Thai air force flight after commercial airlines declined requests for transport over safety concerns, Thai police said.

"We have to get hold of the suspect so that he can be prosecuted under the Thai judicial system," state prosecutor Intranee Sumawong said, adding that Dupre would not face the death penalty under the terms of the extradition.

"We have ensured that there is security in Thailand and uphold our reputation that this country is safe to live in," she said.

An Alberta court approved the extradition of Dupre last December.