Roundup: Thai police nab foreigner in connection with Bangkok bombing

Thai police on Saturday detained a foreign national in Bangkok, who is in suspected connection with a recent deadly bombing 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.

The newly found explosives and equipment are similar to those used in the Aug. 17 blast at Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok, which killed at least 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.

It is preliminarily believed that the suspect is connected with the two attacks and he should belong to the same group that perpetrated them, he added.

Police will conduct further questioning and investigation to determine whether the suspect was a culprit of the explosions, national police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang told reporters in the evening.

More details will be disclosed after the suspect is thoroughly questioned, according to Somyot.

Somyot said earlier in the day that so far police investigation has led to the conclusion that the bombings were perpetrated by a group comprising both Thais and foreigners, who assumed different roles in the crime.

He also denied earlier that the blast was connected with any international terrorist movement.

Despite the fact that many pieces of evidence have been gathered, a lot of questions remain to be answered regarding the case, Deputy Defense Minister and army chief Udomdej Sitabutr said, urging those on the outside not to rush to conclusions.

"One thing is for sure so far, this is organized crime," Udomdej said in a televised interview.

There should be other people involved, Udomdej added, asking the public to inform the authorities if they find any suspicious activities and individuals so as to help the police capture all suspects as soon as possible.

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 the apartment in Nong Jok district, which the suspect had rented since July.

The suspect is holding a passport issued by the Republic of Turkey in Istanbul, with Adem Karadag as his name, local media reported.

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 press briefing. Endi