Thai Police Chief admits difficulties in solving last Friday’s bombings

“Suspects had provided some useful information but are still reluctant to disclose the rewards they were promised.”

Thailand’s national police chief says that it has been difficult for investigators to track down the real masterminds behind the recent bombings and arson attacks in Bangkok and neighbouring Nonthaburi province. Police have arrested at least two people and held others in custody for questioning since last Friday morning’s bomb attacks around the city.

But Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda claimed 80-90% of bombing incidents in Thailand are politically motivated.

“The motives for the recent incidents are difficult to determine because the attacks were prepared meticulously.”

Two suspects, 22 year old Lu-ai Sae-ngae and 29 year old Wildon Maha, were arrested in Chumpon province as they were heading south in a passenger van to Narathiwat province from the Chatachuk area in Bangkok early last Friday morning, before the bombs started going off around the city during the Friday morning peak hour.

Pol Gen Chakthip says the pair are among about 25 people thought to be involved in the incidents. Both have been charged with criminal association, possession of explosives and attempted murder. He said the suspects had provided some useful information, but are still reluctant to disclose the rewards they were promised.

On arrest, the two suspects each had five sets of clothing in their backpacks, to be changed in the course of their operation to make them hard to identify. The national police chief also accused the two suspects of involvement in the attack on a marine base in Narathiwat in 2013.

Meanwhile, Pol Lt-Gen Suwat Chaengyodsook, the assistant national police chief, in charge of handling the case, told the media that police believe four groups of people were involved, namely a strategy group for planning, the instigators who handled recruitment and issued the orders, the logistics group which provided help before and after the execution of the plan and the operations group which executed the plan, altogether over 25 people, some of whom are thought to have already fled abroad.

SOURCE: Thai PBS

PHOTO: Explosive devices recovered by EOD