Malaysian police have informed their Thai counterparts that they have arrested two suspects in connection with the Erawan shrine and Sathon pier bombings.
Anti-Money Laundering Office secretary-general Seehanat Prayoonrat explains the money trail of the network behind the Erawan shrine and Sathon pier bombings yesterday. Emrah Davutoglu, the husband of Thai suspect Wanna Suansan, was found to have received more than 700,000 baht from overseas sources between February and April this year. Somchai Poomlard
A police source said Thai authorities were informed on Friday about the arrests.
The police source said Pol Lt Gen Suchart Teerasawat, an inspector-general who has been assigned to lead a police team to seek cooperation from Malaysia, returned to Thailand on Friday.
Pol Lt Gen Suchart was sent to Malaysia to help try and arrest the yellow-shirted suspect in the shrine blast after learning the man had sneaked out of Thailand through Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok district.
The source said Pol Lt Gen Suchart is now in Yala, waiting for Malaysia to inform him if they are going to extradite the suspects to Thailand.
Deputy national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda, who is overseeing the investigation into the bombings, reportedly left Thailand for an undisclosed country yesterday.
In another development, Chinese authorities have been contacted to help capture a man from the country’s Xinjiang region, who is believed to be the mastermind behind last month’s Erawan shrine and Sathon pier bombings, according to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Meanwhile, the probe into the money trail of one of the suspects has found that he received more than 700,000 baht from overseas and the money was transferred to his bank account between February and April, according to the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
The move to seek Chinese help follows foreign media reports citing Bangladeshi police that Abudureheman Abudusataer, also known as Ishan, has left Bangladesh for China on a Chinese passport.
National police spokesman Nazrul Islam was quoted by AFP as saying the suspect arrived in Dhaka on Aug 16 and headed for China on Aug 30.
Asked whether extradition will be requested to bring Mr Ishan back to Thailand if he is caught in China, Gen Prayut said the suspect must be arrested first.
If the country where the suspect is arrested has an extradition treaty with Thailand, cooperation will begin on how to return the suspect, he added.
National police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said Bangladeshi ambassador to Thailand, Saida Muna Tasneem, told him during a meeting yesterday that Mr Ishan had departed Bangladesh and transited through India, but she did not know his destination.
Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi embassy released a statement yesterday, saying it will work closely with Thailand to gather information about the suspected Erawan shrine bombing mastermind’s activities while he was in Bangladesh.
“Law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh are currently investigating the case and will share all relevant information with Thai authorities and all other concerned countries and agencies including Interpol,” the statement said.
Pol Lt Gen Prawut said police have not yet issued an arrest warrant for Mr Ishan as they are gathering more evidence.
If the evidence shows he is linked to the blast, a warrant for his arrest will be issued immediately.
Pol Lt Gen Prawut said he believes more than one arrest warrant will be issued soon. A total of 11 arrest warrants have so far been approved in the bombing case.
Asked about the motive for the blasts, the spokesman said information suggests the attack was likely to be an act of retaliation by a network smuggling people across the border who lost money after a recent crackdown.
Thai police have so far arrested two suspects. Adem Karadag, 28, also known as Bilal Mohammed, who was picked up in his room at the Pool Anant apartment in Nong Chok district on Aug 29, while Yusufu Mieraili, 25, was later apprehended, according to the Thai military, in Sa Kaeo on Sept 1. The two are now being detained at Min Buri prison.
The Justice Ministry yesterday authorised the 11th Military Circle to be used as a special remand facility to detain the two suspects.
Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said the request was made by security officers to the Corrections Department.
“Officials from the department will be sent to carry out their duties there in the same way they do at ordinary prisons,” Gen Paiboon said.
Amlo chief Seehanat Prayoonrat on Friay held a press conference about the money trail of the suspected bombing network.
The probe found Emrah Davutoglu — the husband of Thai bomb network suspect Wanna Suansan, who rented a room at the Maimuna Garden Home apartment in Bangkok’s Min Buri district where bomb-making materials were discovered — received 156,106 baht on Feb 17 and 157,646 baht on March 17 through overseas transfers. Another 410,000 baht was put in his account on April 7.
The money was gradually withdrawn from his bank account until July 2, when there was only 395 baht left, Pol Col Seehanat said, adding that a further 14,495 baht was later transferred into his bank account on Aug 27, leaving 14,854 baht.
The wired money was believed to have been used to fund the purchase of chemicals used in making the bombs, Pol Col Seehanat said.