Mystery man in Bangkok bomb probe 'never said a word'

[webfact]

BANGKOK BLAST
Mystery man in Bangkok bomb probe 'never said a word'

BANGKOK: -- The evidence seized by police investigating Thailand's deadliest bombing includes an apparently damning trove of explosives, fertiliser, and piles of fake passports, but the shabby-looking foreigner they arrested on Saturday remains a mystery.

There has been no word of his nationality, affiliation orwhether the evidence seized in a shabby Bangkok apartment block amounts to a smoking gun for the attack on a crowded downtown shrine that killed 20 people two weeks ago.

Reuters interviews with neighbours, investigators and the community in the city suburb of Nong Chok paint a picture of a reclusive and secretive Muslim who seldom ventured beyond thefour rooms he occupied in the grimy orange and cream-coloured building.

Police have been tight-lipped - at times cryptic - about theman they indicate is the chief suspect caught on camera leavinga bag at the site of a bombing that shook Bangkok’s bustlingcommercial heart.

They are checking DNA samples and calls made from his phone, but have not indicated the man has said anything since his arrest.

According to a couple who rent a room on the same floor, thesuspect was not alone and shared the accommodation with a man ofsimilar ethnicity, who was last seen on Friday.

"There’s another; he’s much taller," said the man, whorequested anonymity because he feared for his safety.

The couple said they instantly recognised the images onnewscasts that went viral on social media of the thin, beardedman with a pale complexion and tightly cropped hair.

They had seen him sometimes kneeling and praying in thecorridor. On the rare occasions he was spotted outside, heappeared focused and walked with purpose.

"They’re very quiet neighbours," said the man. "The tallerman buys food for them."

A person matching the second man’s description had spokenonly a few words of English while at a nearby food stall,according to vendors who last saw him on Thursday.

TRANSIENT COMMUNITY

Many Thai Muslims and foreigners live in Nong Chok, an areaof cheap rents and short leases, where there are colleges,factories, rice paddies, mosques and streets dotted with halal restaurants.

Residents said the suspect was inconspicuous in a transientcommunity of foreigners and university students in the sprawl ofone of Asia’s most cosmopolitan capitals.

"The building often has foreigners renting rooms," saidKhantree Srisombat, 42, who lives in the same block. "It’s normal here."

The building owner who gave only his first name, Anant, saidthe lease contracts were signed using Turkish identification,but not by the arrested man.

When security forces burst into the building to make thearrest, the man declined to speak, even through a Turkishtranslator, according to a plain-clothes special branch officerwho joined the raid.

The officer spoke to Reuters on condition his name bewithheld and said two rooms were strewn with bomb-makingmaterials, including urea fertiliser, TNT, C4, sodium carbonate,large plastic and steel containers, a fuse line, flashlights,screwdrivers and tape.

"The suspect never said a word," the officer added.

Among the passports seized, some had images of the same man,bearing the name Adem Karadag, purportedly Turkish, with birthdates of 1987 and 1985.

Official comments about the man have been opaque, andassessments given often without explanation.

Thai police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang on Saturday insistedthe bombing was not terrorism and declared the man’s motive was"taking personal revenge for his comrades".

On Sunday security forces searched a low-budget buildingused by many Muslim residents in nearby Min Buri district.Deputy district police chief Susak Parakkamakul declined to saywhether any evidence was found.

Across the road, worshippers at the Al Madanee Mosque, thelargest in the area, said they had never seen the suspect.

"I pray here five times a day, every day, and I’ve neverseen him," Qasim Ghulam Mohammad said after prayers on Sunday.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Mystery-man-in-Bangkok-bomb-probe-never-said-a-wor-30267799.html

-- The Nation 2015-08-31

[Assurancetourix]

""The suspect never said a word," the officer added."

A dumb man ?

If so, it will be difficult for the thai police to obtain something .

[Reigntax]

Wont need to say a word but the verbal confession will still appear with help of some outside assistance.

[ourmanflint]

The unnamed officer said "two rooms were strewn with bomb-making materials, including urea fertiliser, TNT, C4, sodium carbonate,"

Is that the first time we have confirmation that this guy had access to some serious explosives? I thought they only found a few diy tools?

[15Peter20]

Don't worry, Somyot will do all the talking for him....

[circusman]

"There’s another; he’s much taller," said the man, whorequested anonymity because he feared for his safety. And another new word is coined.

[jamesbrock]

Wait, he "never said a word" but he told them how he got into Thailand? And he revealed names of three more accomplices?

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

is the space bar broken on the computer of whoever wrote this article? Very annoying, try using spell check or at least proof read your article before you submit it!!!

[Alwyn]

Now the police have what seems to be a criminal with some understanding that if you don't say anything, you can't grass yourself up, they seem perplexed.

[anto]

He will be talking soon enough ,if he has not already .dont worry .The Thai Police can be brutal ,when they want to be .(water boarding would be too easy on this creature )

,but i know they have even more cruel methods.

[mikemac]

Mystery man in Bangkok bomb probe 'never said a word'..........................which adds to the mystique !

[surfinglife]

Makes one miss the Inquisition times.....Never said a word? Just a threat of thumbscrews or the rack would make him talk for hours. Since a lot of victims were Chinese, maybe the water torture?

[Colabamumbai]

He will be talking soon enough ,if he has not already .dont worry .The Thai Police can be brutal ,when they want to be .(water boarding would be too easy on this creature )

,but i know they have even more cruel methods.

Yes they could make him eat Somtam with lots of red chillies.

[Brer Fox]

A deaf mute who cannot write or understand sign language. The perfect babysitter for the team's workshop.

[toybits]

Well what does the Tuk tuk driver have to say? Is that the man or not? I guess life must be very very difficult for the tuk tuk driver right now.

[aircut]

good job the Nation for rewriting reuters' article almost word by word

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/08/30/uk-thailand-blast-suspect-idUKKCN0QZ0F320150830

Thai PBS thinks that bomb suspect revealed three other accomplices...

Edited August 31, 2015 by aircut

[stickylies]

LOL @ "whore quest" ... very approriate for LOS.

[anto]

Well what does the Tuk tuk driver have to say? Is that the man or not? I guess life must be very very difficult for the tuk tuk driver right now.

He was a dumb bomb maker not placer .

[dcutman]

Could be, he has not said a word because he didnt do it, and is scared shitless.

[chilli42]

Give it a rest! You are only going to hear what the authorizes want you to hear. All that is coming out is badly managed spin. It does not make sense. It is not supposed to make sense.

[robertson468]

is the space bar broken on the computer of whoever wrote this article? Very annoying, try using spell check or at least proof read your article before you submit it!!!

Here, here. I suspect word processed by a five year old!

[jgold]

why not just waterboard him?? I am sure he will go thru some torture in order to speak (at least I hope so).

[Oil Baron]

""The suspect never said a word," the officer added."

A dumb man ?

If so, it will be difficult for the thai police to obtain something .

Dumb and dumber perhaps. Sounds like the beginning of something great! They'll be a roaring success! Sorry, I couldn't resist it.

[Oil Baron]

is the space bar broken on the computer of whoever wrote this article? Very annoying, try using spell check or at least proof read your article before you submit it!!!

Thank you. I thought it was just me....

[oldsailor35]

Sigh !! just bring in the Roti sellers. Common sense innit.

[Bakseeda]

He will be talking soon enough ,if he has not already .dont worry .The Thai Police can be brutal ,when they want to be .(water boarding would be too easy on this creature )

,but i know they have even more cruel methods.

Yes.... they will give your Thai wife your PIN number and your card..!

[cowboy country]

is the space bar broken on the computer of whoever wrote this article? Very annoying, try using spell check or at least proof read your article before you submit it!!!

Well spotted, funny but I thought the same thing when I looked at your username..

Very annoying, try using spell check or at least proof read your username before you submit it!!!

Plus, one one sentence alone you prove you hardly qualify to be a punctuation pointerouterer..just saying..That's sentence would fail grade 6 punctuation test..

Edited August 31, 2015 by cowboy country

[ozyjon]

The unnamed officer said "two rooms were strewn with bomb-making materials,

including urea fertilizer, TNT, C4, sodium carbonate,"

Where do you buy this stuff ? Is it for baking, will Gordon Ramsey create

a new culinary delight with these ingredients ?

Is my space bar working ok and i had the 5 year old proof read it also.

[arrowsdawdle]

""The suspect never said a word," the officer added."

A dumb man ?

If so, it will be difficult for the thai police to obtain something .

Dumb and dumber.

[arrowsdawdle]

"I pray here five times a day, every day, and I’ve neverseen him," Qasim Ghulam Mohammad said after prayers on Sunday.

Protecting the mosque.