Thai Police Find Explosive Chemicals Linked To Terror Plot

[webfact]

Police find explosive chemicals linked to terror plot

SAMUT SAKHON, Jan 16 - Thai police early Monday led a terror suspect to search a commercial building in Samut Sakhon province, adjacent to the capital, where they discovered chemical substances which could be used in making explosives.

Police chief Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong led about 200 metropolitan police bomb disposal and forensic experts to search two units of a commercial building in the Samut Sakhon provincial seat.

The search came after a Swedish-Lebanese terror suspect was detained on Friday.

A large amount of urea fertiliser and ammonium nitrate solution were found hidden in the building.

According to the initial investigation, the building has been rented since Jan 1, 2011. The police will detain the owner of the building for further questioning for alleged involvement in possession of explosive mixtures without permission.

Atris Hussein, a 48 year-old Lebanese man with suspected links to a Hezbollah, a militant group in Lebanon, was apprehended for questioning on Friday at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport under the immigration law, which allows for a 60-day detention, while he was leaving Thailand on the same day as the US embassy in Bangkok issued a terrorist threat warning for the capital.

After questioning, Gen Priewpan said Mr Hussein, a Lebanese with a Swedish passport, will be deported to his country without being charged, as he had not committed any wrongdoing. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-01-16

[webfact]

Police Find Bomb Components Believed to Belong to Lebanese Suspect

200 police officers raided a shop house in Samut Sakorn Province. They reportedly found bomb components believed to belong a suspect arrested late last week related to several terror warnings issued by the United States and 13 other countries.

-- Tan Network 2012-01-16

[gl555]

Yeap I anxiously await the anti Americans who are going to comment about how the American embassy is crying wolf by issuing the warning.

[Tywais]

Seems some heavy duty trolls on board TV now. Read the below forum rule Post deleted..

5) Not to post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling.Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

[cloudhopper]

The MCOT article says he will be deported without being charged while the TAN reports the explosives belong to him.

60 days isn't too bad c/w the US now where "having suspected links to" can get you detained indefinitely.

[webfact]

TERROR

Suspect's confession led to finding of bomb ingredients

The Nation

Some 200 police raided a building in Samut Sakhon Monday, believed to be the storage depot of the detained terror suspect with an alleged link to the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militant group, and found potential bomb ingredients including fertilisers and liquid ammonium nitrate.

Police Chief Gen Priewphan Damapong said the suspect, Hussein Atris, who was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport, confessed about the storage unit in Muang district and led police to the building and guided them throughout the search.

He quoted Hussein as saying that the three-storey building was used to stock ingredients for explosives but that his network has never had any intention of attacking Thailand.

Among the ingredients found in the building, which had been rented by Hussein for about a year, were 396 kilograms of fertilisers and liquid ammonium nitrate.

"The suspect said the substances were usually shipped out of the country hidden in electric fan boxes," Priewphan said.

"The suspect asked me to tell Thai people not to worry because there would indefinitely be no terrorism attack in Thailand," he said.

Hussein, 47, was detained as he was about to board a flight out of Thailand on Friday in connection with a plan to attack tourist sites in Bangkok. The arrest was made after US Embassy in Thailand issued an alert to its citizens about possible terrorism attacks.

Police have released a sketch of the second suspect who is still at large.

-- The Nation 2012-01-16

[Pseudolus]

I reckon the bumbling police have asked their relatives "who owns a fertilizer shop house then? we need to be photographed lugging about some boxes of the stuff quick smart. Why in the world would international terrorists rent a shop house to store bomb making equipment? Maybe they were selling a bit on the side to make ends meet? Perhaps it was a cover so they could acquire a few tonnes of the stuff with no one batting an eyelid?

As for American Bashing, I don't think that is appropriate really as Hezbollah is unique in one very peculiar way; they are the one terrorist organisation at odds with the USA and a general nuisance to the world that was not either originally founded or backed financially by the CIA / US government. Maybe that is why they struggle so much on the international stage of world terrorism; the seed money was not enough due to only having Iran supporting them.

[bobl]

Police Find Bomb Components Believed to Belong to Lebanese Suspect

200 police officers

Overkill, much?

They're going to need a pretty wide angle lens for the trophy photo on that one...

[OzMick]

Moral - if you want to sneak out of the country, take off your balaclava (ski mask for yanks?).

Did he bring that with him?

[CHANGOVER]

Moral - if you want to sneak out of the country, take off your balaclava (ski mask for yanks?).

Did he bring that with him?

It's regulation terrorist headgear, how else would BIB spot them?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Curious... the Thai authorities just in the past couple days flatly denied news media questions about there being supposedly urea fertilizer linked to the terror suspect... And the authorities denial of that was posted as a news item here on ThaiVisa...

Another example, given the news above, of the government talking out of both sides of their mouth.

BTW, if the U.S. Embassy hadn't issued it's public warning, does anyone really think the Thai authorities would have ever arrested this guy or found his urea and chemicals stash??? Chances just about ZERO!

Edited January 16, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[drdoom6996]

Yeap I anxiously await the anti Americans who are going to comment about how the American embassy is crying wolf by issuing the warning.

Yep, me too. No terrorist plot on the first link and then this about 5 links down. Chalerm"There is no plot, OH you mean that plot"??????????

[Pseudolus]

Balaclava - All part of the ruse. He was masquerading as a motorbike taxi rider to evade capture. The guy in the mask does not look like Ross from Friends though like the drawing did, so I think that is not him. More than a passing resemblance to the guy that sells kebabs in JJ Market though - wonder if the JJ Market Mafia tossed him to the police in exchange for their weekly grease the wheel payment?

Maybe that is why they had the shop house as opposed to any random place; legitimate front to procure and export it?

[animatic]

If the amount of chemicals appearing to be a partial amount in the top picture

is reasonably extrapolated in bulk, were to be triggered it

is enough to take down the FBI building in Omaha.

If placed in a van on Kao San road it would have killed hundreds

within 5 minutes of the culprit exiting the double parked van.

A suicide bomber could take out more, when ever he felt numbers were right.

A bomb of this type and size is not likely to be driven to any other country,

likelihood of blowing up nothing more than a border crossing would rule that out.

Somewhere in Thailand would be the logical target; touristy and Israeli /

American citizens as a central targets with no worries about collateral damage.

A person may appear paranoid from time to time,

but that doesn't mean some are NOT out to get them.

Same goes for nations.

Some may give warnings, and then the plot is foiled,

but no info is given out to protect ongoing anti-terrorist operations,

but the warning was real and useful.

Edited January 16, 2012 by animatic

[transam]

Moral - if you want to sneak out of the country, take off your balaclava (ski mask for yanks?).

Did he bring that with him?

It's regulation terrorist headgear, how else would BIB spot them?

Well, could be the AK47 barrel sticking out the leg of his trousers eh.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

When the news surfaced today that the Lebanese-Swedish guy had been deported, I too began thinking of that same word... rendition....

Unfortunately, that practice by my country has a bad and presumably illegal history, including some past involvement by Thailand.... However, I'd seriously doubt Thailand went in that direction this time.

In this case, though, it does have a certain appeal.

[Willeyeam]

Don't panic, he was probably getting it ready to put on his Lam Yai trees.

[OZEMADE]

Headline reads.

Police find explosive chemicals linked to terror plot.

What Terror Plot, why wern't we warned by the Americans about this.

These guys kill me.

[XAR]

Unfortunately, that practice by my country has a bad and presumably illegal history, including some past involvement by Thailand.... However, I'd seriously doubt Thailand went in that direction this time.

In this case, though, it does have a certain appeal.

Would it not make sense that he is being deported to Sweden? I believe that is where his passport was issued. Perhaps that would explain the quick deportation in light of the recent news about him. Certainly he would then be in for more interrogation as opposed to an exodus to Lebanon. Just a guess on my part and I should know better than to try to make sense of any action taken by the Thai government.

Edited January 16, 2012 by XAR

[lovetotravel]

Thai news is reporting they had 2 large trucks ready to put the explosives in and blow up a building in Bangkok. How come we can't get a straight answer from the Thai authorities. The Thai news is blasting the government for not telling the truth.

[sirchai]

"After questioning, Gen Priewpan said Mr Hussein, a Lebanese with a Swedish passport, will be deported to his country without being charged, as he had not committed any wrongdoing."

Or pay a fine up to 1,000 baht????? Hope it wasn't Mr. Saddam Hussein.....

Edited January 16, 2012 by sirchai

[belg]

i guess these days, the safest place to live in bangkok is in PRAWET, if you ever go in that neighbourhood, you understand WHY

[huahinjoe]

Anyone can estimate the destruction force of 400kg fertilisers and chemicals would be?

Another note, i tought if anyone planning and confessing a plot thats already punishable, why on earth they can let the guy go away after 60 days? Amazing Thailand...

Why they hiding the guy's face, because he is farang? most thai news show the guy face even they have to reproduce the story like the teddy bear raper... haha

[PETERTHEEATER]

........where they discovered chemical substances which could be used in making explosives.

Urea and Ammonium Nitrate are commonly used agricultural fertilisers so it looks as if Thai farmers will be out of business when all the agricultural retailers are jailed!

[wxyz]

Moral - if you want to sneak out of the country, take off your balaclava (ski mask for yanks?).

Did he bring that with him?

It's regulation terrorist headgear, how else would BIB spot them?

it is surprising the BIB did not include that in their drawing of suspect number 2

headline, "Chalerm Denies Threat Of Terror: Thailand"

i suppose that's his story and he is sticking to it, they were only here to do a little farming, not terrorism, good one

[RedNIvar]

"The suspect asked me to tell Thai people not to worry because there would indefinitely be no terrorism attack in Thailand," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-01-16

Don't worry my friend, we not bomb Thailand *wink* wink*. Thailand is like Tesco for bomb makers, we shop for raw material from here and bomb elsewhere. So don't worry my Hamerican and Yahudi friends, go out drink and be merry. We not bomb hew, trust me ya habibi. Ask the Thai government, bomb in Thailand like WMD in Iraq.

[IAMHERE]

"Police have released a sketch of the second suspect who is still at large."

Why don't the Thai authorities see if immigration has a real picture of the suspect. They take my picture when I enter the country. I'm told they want a couple pictures if I actually get a visa or extend a visa. Yep, immigration would be a good place to look for a picture of some foriegner in the country.

[animatic]

Anyone can estimate the destruction force of 400kg fertilisers and chemicals would be?

Another note, i tought if anyone planning and confessing a plot thats already punishable, why on earth they can let the guy go away after 60 days? Amazing Thailand...

Why they hiding the guy's face, because he is farang? most thai news show the guy face even they have to reproduce the story like the teddy bear raper... haha

http://law2.umkc.edu...ighaccount.html

The bomb was composed of a simple combination of about 5,000 pounds of a common farm fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, and nitromethane racing fuel and remotely set off by a blasting cap. It was loaded onto a 20-foot-long Ryder rental truck and parked in front of the federal building shortly before detonation.

Equivalent of 2268 KILOS did this

http://www.u-s-histo...ages/h2048.html

|

So converting 400 kl to 882 lbs,

We can expect say 1/4 - 1/3 of this damage depending on where it was placed.

But place this amongst 2,500 people milling about a dozen bars and stands on Kao San road....

without the huge concrete structures seen still standing, and all 4 stories at most....

Carnage is the only word.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110802/AP13/308029976/1012&template=mobileart

Edited January 16, 2012 by animatic

[Jayman]

I'm so confused by all of this. So after the terror "suspect" leads them to a building full of material used to make explosives and they have trucks on hand to fill with said explosives are the Thais actually still claiming he has done nothing wrong and will just be deported? What do you have to do around here to actually end up in jail?

Let this be a lesson to all you wood be criminals.... Thailand doesn't want any part of it and will just send you packing.

[erobando]

Ah, more "evidence" for the US to drum up support for its war against Iran.