Charles Sobhraj is a notorious criminal who was known as the “Bikini Killer” or “The Serpent” due to his international crime spree in the 1970s. He was born on April 6, 1944, in Saigon, French Indochina (now known as Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). Sobhraj’s criminal activities spanned across various countries, including Thailand, Nepal, India, and others in Southeast Asia.
Sobhraj’s criminal modus operandi involved preying on young, vulnerable Western tourists, whom he charmed and manipulated before robbing and often murdering them. He was a skilled con artist and master of disguise, using multiple passports and aliases to evade law enforcement. He was also known for poisoning his victims, often using drugs such as sleeping pills to incapacitate them before carrying out his crimes.
One of Sobhraj’s most infamous crimes was the string of murders he committed along the “Hippie Trail” in the 1970s. This included the murders of a group of young backpackers in Nepal and Thailand, which gained him international notoriety. Despite being suspected of numerous murders, Sobhraj was able to evade capture multiple times due to his cunning and ability to blend in with different social circles.