British ‘Batman’ arrested over ‘gangland hit’ at luxury flat block
A British man has been detained in Cambodia on suspicion of killing a man in a ‘gangland hit’ on Christmas Eve.
Authorities said they arrested a 31-year-old on suspicion of carrying out the hit on a Serbian man, Strahinja Dackovic, 37, in front of an apartment complex in Phnom Penh.
CCTV footage appears to show Dackovic, whose social media accounts boast photos of him holding weapons and cash, approaching a white vehicle on the evening of December 24.
He is then shot at close range by the perpetrator inside. He staggered back and crawled away on all fours as the car left, and later died at the scene.
Police are unsure of the true identity of the man they arrested on February 15 in connection with the crime.
He is reported to use a variety of different aliases, including Joseph Swartz, Jason Vernazza, Alan Bradly Wilson, James Spader – and even ‘Batman’.
They say the suspect is well-known to Cambodia’s criminal underworld because of his distinctive tattoos, which include a black spider on his neck.
Photos released by police show the man wearing slim black jeans and a checked shirt, sporting a thin moustache.
When the man was detained, police found a black Ruger pistol, a folding knife and several bullets.
He was also found with small amounts of marijuana in his pockets.
The motive for the killing is not known. Police believe the incident may have been gang-related. A case is reportedly being built and will be sent to prosecutors.
Reports suggest that Dackovic had previously fled a prison sentence for inciting religious and racial hatred in Serbia.
He allegedly moved to Thailand and then to Cambodia, where he married a Thai woman.
It is understood that Dackovic was a native of Brus, southern Serbia, where his family has reportedly held a funeral for him amid uncertainty of how long it will take to repatriate his body from Cambodia.
The majority of Cambodia’s criminal underworld is largely run by international groups, according to the Global Organized Crime Index.
In recent years, the country has become a key regional hub for human trafficking networks, in particular for the purposes of forced labor, cyberscams, and sexual exploitation.
Though some European groups do have a presence in Cambodia, the majority of these groups reportedly come from other Asian countries, like Myanmar, Taiwan and China.
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