1st LD: Thai police nab foreigner in connection with Bangkok bombing

Thai police on Saturday detained a foreigner in Bangkok, who is in suspected connection with a recent deadly bomb attack in the capital, police spokesman Pol. Lt. Gen. Prawut Thawornsiri said.

Police and soldiers started to search an apartment after receiving tip-offs, which was rented by a 28-year-old male, and found a large number of explosives and equipment that could be used to make bombs, along with dozens of foreign passports, Prawut said at a televised press briefing.

It is preliminarily believed that the suspect is connected with the Aug. 17 blast at Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok, which killed 20 people and injured more than 120 others, as well as a subsequent bombing at the Sathorn pier, which caused no deaths or injuries, according to Prawut.

The suspect should belong to the same group that perpetrated the two attacks, he added.

Since the bombings, the military, police and relevant agencies have kept a close eye on border areas, tourist destinations, and crowed areas across the country to ensure safety for the public and tourists, Winthai Suwaree, spokesman of the National Council of Peace and Order, told the briefing.

Thai media initially reported that the suspect was a Turkish national, but police said later that further investigation is needed to determine the nationality of the suspect, considering the large number of fake passports found at his rented apartment.

The suspect is holding a Turkish passport with Adem Karadag as his name, local media reported.

So far investigation has led to the conclusion that the bombings were perpetrated by a group comprising both Thais and foreigners, national police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang said earlier in the day. Endi