Thai police confiscate student activists' mobile phones to find mastermind

[webfact]

Police confiscate student activists’ mobile phones to find mastermind



BANGKOK: -- Metropolitan police have confiscated five mobile phones of the student activists to look into their mastermind or supporters, Pol Maj Gen Chayapol Chatchaidej, commander of the Sixth Division of Metropolitan Police Bureau said Monday.

The seizure of the mobile phones came after the police have produced a search warrant issued by Bangkok Military Court to the students’ lawyer to search his car.

The search produced some significant evidence which include the mobile phones.

He said the mobile phones were sent to the Office of Police Forensic Science to into possible links with certain group of people backing their movements.

Details would be known soon of whom these student activists have contacted so that arrest warrants would be sought from the court to arrest those whom are behind them, he said.

He said police investigators would seek permission from Bangkok Remand Prison to question them more today.

Prison commander Aryut Sinthophan, meanwhile said, the 13 students detained at the prison have all had their heads shaven under the prison regulations.

They didn’t seek any special request and they have to share their living with other prisoners, he said.

Earlier Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said security officials have known who were behind these student activists in making movements against the military junta.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/police-confiscate-student-activists-mobile-phones-to-find-mastermind

-- Thai PBS 2015-06-29

[Thai at Heart]

Can't they just call the phone company. This feels like one of those Zoolander moments.

Oh, its IN the phone. How to get in?

[Snig27]

You can't make this level of idiocy up.

[StealthEnergiser]

It's a pity the police never made a similar announcement about the initial suspects in the Koh Tao case.

[mmh8]

curse these people, they have paedos and other sex offenders getting off with 500 baht fines and slap on wrists, yet should one disagree witht he powers that be one would find ones self being penalized and pursued to the full extent of the law.

I've written it before and will write it again, what a bunch of muppets

[Chang_paarp]

So the police don't really know who the "mastermind" is. This in spite of a number of very public statements.

Is there a remote chance these students were not being led by the nose as the police seem to think but are capable of independent thought and decided to protest off their own bat? Just maybe they are not happy with the concept of democracy, however flawed, being trampled over by the junta.

If they were smart, the students would have only members of the junta in the phones they left with the lawyer, with a couple of (missed?) calls to some prominent generals phones.

[CanInBKK]

Can't they just call the phone company. This feels like one of those Zoolander moments.

Oh, its IN the phone. How to get in?

Not defending/opposing the political motivations but merely a technical observation. The use Line and Facebook messenger prevalent on Thai mobile phones can't be retrieved by the cell operators (unless data sniffing is executed in advance). If I were the owner of the iOS device(s) shown I'd tell one of my trusted friends to do a "remote wipe" before giving the police my cell phone password. (Not an advocate for terrorism, politics or whatever, I just think private citizens should know all of the tools they have at hand and when to use them).

[Thai at Heart]

Can't they just call the phone company. This feels like one of those Zoolander moments.

Oh, its IN the phone. How to get in?

Not defending/opposing the political motivations but merely a technical observation. The use Line and Facebook messenger prevalent on Thai mobile phones can't be retrieved by the cell operators (unless data sniffing is executed in advance). If I were the owner of the iOS device(s) shown I'd tell one of my trusted friends to do a "remote wipe" before giving the police my cell phone password. (Not an advocate for terrorism, politics or whatever, I just think private citizens should know all of the tools they have at hand and when to use them).

Well precisely. So what do they expect to find in the phone that won't be in the mobile companies records and servers?

[scorecard]

So the police don't really know who the "mastermind" is. This in spite of a number of very public statements.

Is there a remote chance these students were not being led by the nose as the police seem to think but are capable of independent thought and decided to protest off their own bat? Just maybe they are not happy with the concept of democracy, however flawed, being trampled over by the junta.

If they were smart, the students would have only members of the junta in the phones they left with the lawyer, with a couple of (missed?) calls to some prominent generals phones.

Why didn't they protest in regard to the trampling on democracy exercised for a number of years by the previous mob?

[Manbing]

Good luck wading through the reams of self indulgent facebook cr@p to get to the truth.

Remote wipes can be easily undone by forensic pc staff btw.

However, the mastermind is unlikely to be a person, but an idea that got started by word of mouth among friends.

Edited June 29, 2015 by Manbing

[TheAppletons]

Good luck wading through the reams of self indulgent facebook cr@p to get to the truth.

Remote wipes can be easily undone by forensic pc staff btw.

However, the mastermind is unlikely to be a person, but an idea that got started by word of mouth among friends.

I was under the impression we were talking about the Thai police.

[DM07]

I see, the RTP have their priorities right!

Actors, heirs killing policemen? Let them go!

Murder on Koh Tao? Find some scapegoats instead of the real killers (presumably)!

But 14 students saying "No" to the coup- fight hell and high waters to get to the "mastermind" behind the protest!

It would be so laughable, but it is really, really sad!

[scorecard]

Good luck wading through the reams of self indulgent facebook cr@p to get to the truth.

Remote wipes can be easily undone by forensic pc staff btw.

However, the mastermind is unlikely to be a person, but an idea that got started by word of mouth among friends.

'....mastermind is unlikely to be a person....'

why not?

Here's a comment I'm aware of, supposedly from a senior policeman, to the effect 'The detailed statement made by this 'group' is written in the exact style used by other folks already 'seen' in the other camp' and from what's known of these students well beyond their current capabilities in terms of details and arguments.

[Manbing]

Good luck wading through the reams of self indulgent facebook cr@p to get to the truth.

Remote wipes can be easily undone by forensic pc staff btw.

However, the mastermind is unlikely to be a person, but an idea that got started by word of mouth among friends.

'....mastermind is unlikely to be a person....'

why not?

Here's a comment I'm aware of, supposedly from a senior policeman, to the effect 'The detailed statement made by this 'group' is written in the exact style used by other folks already 'seen' in the other camp' and from what's known of these students well beyond their current capabilities in terms of details and arguments.

Yes I see, there is a mastermind behind the idea of freedom of speech.

Mr Emancipation perhaps? Yes whoever first came up with this idea is definitely in trouble. Perhaps they should start with the authors of the Magna Carta and work from these connections?

[Somtamnication]

Hope the lock pattern is untraceable!

[Reigntax]

There will be many grandmothers receiving visits from the police in the next few days.

[falangjim]

I bet Commader Blop might be surprised if he found out the students were acting alone. It's probably hard for him to imagine anyone else with a free thought since he's never had one himself.

[Emster23]

"confiscated five mobile phones of the student activists to look into their mastermind or supporters" Or supporters..... ah the thought crime police are on the case. Any of us TV posters who say "good on them" could be classed "supporters". BTW dear general et al: my door is open, no need to kick it down.

[little mary sunshine]

Probable Cause and Search Warrent

In hand, I guess

[Oziex1]

I don't think the Mastermind has a number he does have a name though.

Paranoia

[Always18]

Well I'm amazed - this must be the only country in the world where students do not have strong opinions and need to be "led" by some mischievous "mastermind" to protest!

[chainarong]

Just goes to show the police state Thailand has become, with luck the students are one jump ahead of inspector slow and why would there be a mastermind anyway can't these guy's think for themselves , some of their grandfathers and grandmothers did and the military got a big kick in the arse , if it happens again I recommend no deals this time with the military.

Edited June 29, 2015 by chainarong

[chainarong]

Well I'm amazed - this must be the only country in the world where students do not have strong opinions and need to be "led" by some mischievous "mastermind" to protest!

Don't the Prayut - O brigade just instil confidence

[scorecard]

Well I'm amazed - this must be the only country in the world where students do not have strong opinions and need to be "led" by some mischievous "mastermind" to protest!

Point taken but that doesn't mean that it's not possible someone is leading them.

In the past overall history of Thai politics (including recent politics) there are examples of citizens etc., being basically brainwashed and led.

Example the red democracy schools which didn't explain anything at all about democracy, they were just repetitive hate sessions using doctored tapes etc., and in many villages attendance was compulsory. From several angles, not democratic principles or actions.

[CanInBKK]

Good luck wading through the reams of self indulgent facebook cr@p to get to the truth.

Remote wipes can be easily undone by forensic pc staff btw.

However, the mastermind is unlikely to be a person, but an idea that got started by word of mouth among friends.

My own personal bias here, but I imagine this would only be possible with android and not iOS. I remember a case from a year or so ago where US law enforcement couldn't pull data from a criminal's iPhone and Apple said they had no way (back door) to hack their own encryption Edited June 29, 2015 by CanInBKK

[phoenixdoglover]

Who would have thought that all this talk about reconciliation was just unadulterated BS?

[Mudcrab]

It was obviously a student protest paid for and bought by for K Thaksin accompanied by the so called repression of students rights campaign,

Why doesn't this old dinosaur just go away and live a peaceful life in Dubai.

[DM07]

It was obviously a student protest paid for and bought by for K Thaksin accompanied by the so called repression of students rights campaign,

Why doesn't this old dinosaur just go away and live a peaceful life in Dubai.

Oh, the world is so beautiful in black and white!

[saakura]

So the police don't really know who the "mastermind" is. This in spite of a number of very public statements.

Is there a remote chance these students were not being led by the nose as the police seem to think but are capable of independent thought and decided to protest off their own bat? Just maybe they are not happy with the concept of democracy, however flawed, being trampled over by the junta.

If they were smart, the students would have only members of the junta in the phones they left with the lawyer, with a couple of (missed?) calls to some prominent generals phones.

Why didn't they protest in regard to the trampling on democracy exercised for a number of years by the previous mob?

You mean the yellow mob which shut down the airports or the red mob which beseiged the Ratchaprasong downtown Bangkok for weeks, or the yellow mob which occupied Silom, Lumpini and other parts of Bangkok for months triggering the 2014 coup?

[rametindallas]

You can't make this level of idiocy up.

You mean like there in absolutely NO possibility that these kids were put up to this charade and their drama of refusing bail so they become martyrs for the cause? Time, and investigation, will tell if this is a plot to prevent the reform of the Thai political system or to incite others to insurrection.

.