Hunt on for prime suspect

[Lite Beer]

ERAWAN BOMBING
Hunt on for prime suspect
THE NATION

A foreign suspect in the Erawan Shrine bombing, identified as Adem Karadag, is escorted by soldiers and led by Royal Thai Police spokesman Lt-General Prawut Thavornsiri, left, as he arrives to be questioned by police at the Metropolitan Police Bureau

BANGKOK: -- DNA tests show detainees not the bomber at Erawan shrine; police confident of their link to bomb-making

YUSUFU MIERAILI, the second suspect arrested in connection with last month's Bangkok bombings, is not the prime suspect seen in yellow T-shirt on surveillance footage at the Erawan Shrine before the blast, police spokesman Pol Lt General Prawut Thavornsiri said.

Citing DNA test results, he said the suspect, who holds a Chinese passport, was not the person who left the explosive at the shrine that killed 20 people and injured more than 100 on August 17.

However, Prawut added that the man, who was arrested near the Thai-Cambodian border last weekend, was one of the persons allegedly involved in making the bomb in the Min Buri and Nong Chok districts of Bangkok, based on DNA and forensic evidence.

Prawut said Mieraili's DNA was not identical to that found in a taxicab believed to have provided a ride to the prime suspect on his way to the Erawan Shrine on August 17. It's also not identical to that found on a Bt20 banknote used by this person on that day.

However, Mieraili's DNA is identical to that on explosive containers found at the Pool Anant apartment building in Nong Chok district and DNA found on a toothbrush and a nail cutter insider another apartment room in Min Buri district. Hence he is believed to be one of the bomb makers in the two Bangkok attacks.

"At this stage, there is no evidence showing this man as the person who left the bomb [at the Erawan Shrine], but we believe he is one of the team's members, and he holds a Chinese passport," Prawut said.

Mieraili is facing charges of illegally possessing explosive materials but police have not filed charges of manslaughter against him, he added.

Meanwhile, the military yesterday handed overAdem Karadag, another suspect in the Bangkok bomb blasts, to police custody after seven days in detention. At this stage, this suspect also faces the charge of illegally possessing bomb-making materials. Earlier DNA tests also showed that he was not the man who left the bomb at the Erawan Shrine, but police believed he was a member of the network that made the bombs for the Bangkok attack based on evidence found at his Pool Anant apartment in Nong Chok district.

Pol Lt-General Sri-vara Rangsi-bhamkul, the Bangkok police chief, said a total of nine arrest warrants had been issued for suspects in connection with the incidents, including Wanna Suansan, a Thai woman who rented apartment rooms and a house to other suspects.

Police also found about 30 litres of liquid chemicals, electrical parts and other materials that could be used to make bombs at a house in Min Buri district rented by Wanna, whose family said she was now in Turkey with her husband. Neighbours told police they saw Wanna come to the house with her child about a year ago.

Deputy Government Spokes-man Maj-General Weerachon Sukonpatipak said police would have to prove the nationality of suspects in cooperation with the countries concerned, as the issue was very sensitive and it did not mean that these countries were behind the Bangkok attacks.

Asked if the incidents were connected with Thailand's earlier repatriation of Uighur migrants to China, he said it was premature to make any conclusion on the motives behind the blasts, as there were several possible factors, including cross-border human trafficking and domestic politics.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has found a money trail believed to be connected with the network that carried out the Bangkok bomb blasts, according to Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya.

The AMLO found evidence that could be linked to financial transactions related to the suspects arrested by police, so it will forward it to the Department of Special Investigation for further action.

Weerachon had said earlier that there could be a link between financial transactions and human-trafficking activities if the latter were the motive behind the blasts.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Hunt-on-for-prime-suspect-30268200.html

-- The Nation 2015-09-05

[rhythmworx]

20 baht banknote used on that day? <deleted>

[lee b]

Well they are getting somewhere and I hope they get the <deleted> soon and lock them up for life, as the death penalty is too good for them.

[Emster23]

And how, pray tell, can they be so sure the taxi and 20 baht note ARE from the bomber? Both of those are not exactly pristine.... besides wasn't it a week after the fact that taxi driver came forward with his "evidence'? Could be from anyone.....

[MaxLee]

Maybe-laybe-daybe..... who's next? Micky Yusur Muuso???!!!

Edited September 5, 2015 by MaxLee

[londonthai]

"he said it was premature to make any conclusion on the motives behind the blasts, as there were several possible factors, including cross-border human trafficking and domestic politics."

chinese, turkish suspects, thai muslim woman living in turkey, human trafficking from china - still, for the police, it's a domestic politics

[Lupatria]

...and for the rest of this month the cops are busy re-collecting the reward money hastily paid to unknown brass brothers?

[Rykbanlor]

Did I not also read that yesterday or so, they had determined that some liquid previously believed to be used in making explosives, turned out to be a more likely ingredient for making drugs (meth i presume)?

What a convoluted business, seems it's better to wait about a week after any announcement from the Police, before deciding whether it's worth believeing or not.

[Artisi]

And how, pray tell, can they be so sure the taxi and 20 baht note ARE from the bomber? Both of those are not exactly pristine.... besides wasn't it a week after the fact that taxi driver came forward with his "evidence'? Could be from anyone.....

No worries, it is all safely in the hands of the BIB and they know what they are doing, well I think they know but then I'm not sure, maybe they do but possibly they don't - anyway it keeps everyone occupied during the day with lots of laughs and you can look forward to the next days revelations in the ongoing soapie series airing daily on your computer - and it comes free.

[Oziex1]

Did I not also read that yesterday or so, they had determined that some liquid previously believed to be used in making explosives, turned out to be a more likely ingredient for making drugs (meth i presume)?

What a convoluted business, seems it's better to wait about a week after any announcement from the Police, before deciding whether it's worth believeing or not.

Forget the time frame, it's not worth believing anything they say.

[Oziex1]

Are these guys serious are they trying to investigate a crime or laying down the draft of a cheap pulp fiction crime story. Plenty of twists and turns, nothing solid or very believable, rejected by the publisher again.

[petedk]

And how, pray tell, can they be so sure the taxi and 20 baht note ARE from the bomber? Both of those are not exactly pristine.... besides wasn't it a week after the fact that taxi driver came forward with his "evidence'? Could be from anyone.....

Why only a 20 baht note?

Surely the fare was more than that. What about the 5, 2 and 10 baht coins he paid with . I am sure the taxi driver "knows" exactly which coins were used.

[MaxLee]

All the RTP is doing is arresting every sacrificial lamb or pseudo suspect, making it look good in the international community, as if we were born yesterday...

In other words they don't ever bother to catch the real mastermind, who has already left the country.

Edited September 5, 2015 by MaxLee

[empireboy]

Whoever handles the media for the police is doing a disastrous job of getting credible facts to the public. These people are simply pitiful!

[MaxLee]

Whoever handles the media for the police is doing a disastrous job of getting credible facts to the public. These people are simply pitiful!

WRONG, they're being internally terrorized by the ruling authorities AND the influential RTP chiefs to force feed the public with quick-fix sugar coated information. If the media refuses, they would make those people in power lose face, and could face serious defamation accusation against them....

[jamesbrock]

What sort of a headline is "Hunt on for prime suspect" nearly three weeks after the event? I mean, hasn't the hunt been on for the prime suspect since the time of the bombing?

A more accurate headline should read, 'After nearly three weeks of false, misleading and contradictory announcements, including twice we were certain we had the prime suspect, and that one time we handed ourselves the reward for catching the prime suspect even though we didn't, the hunt is still on.'

[sabaii69]

20 baht banknote used on that day? <deleted>

Get rid of your 20s and don't ride taxis if you don't want to be implicated My God, this is stupid

[Richard Hall]

And here we go again.

Other than in the Koh Tao case the "wise long-nosed virtual investigators and judges" are obviously confident now that the main culprit has already been identified. Shouldn't the BiB just use the arrested as scapegoat like "everyone knows" they always do in Thailand?

Main objective seems always to be to nag and nag and nag independant from what the authorities do in Thailand. They are considered to be incapable by birth based on personal grudges. Case closed.

No need to wonder why so many farang are seen to be nothing but bababobo in the Kingdom. Som nam nah.

[mancub]

Can of worms. Human trafficking, drug trade or. suspicious murder cases

Like other investigations, once it reaches the stage where involvement and/or complicity of people of a certain standing is brought into question, then a cul-de -sac is the result. Efforts are made to back-track, evidence/witnesses suddenly become "unreliable" and confusion reigns.

[BarnicaleBob]

In light of the fact that 20 police officers who took part in the investigation have been transferred for doing something not right, leads me to think the following about the DNA and why they can't match it to any of the suspects: The DNA the police are trying to match is from parts of the bombs found at the bomb sites. It could be due to mishandling of evidence that the DNA the police are trying to find a match for is actually DNA from one of the officers who may have contaminated the crime scene by being careless in the handling of the evidence. Thus it is possible the DNA they are trying to match is actually that of one of their own police officers.

[Halion]

Drowning administration clutching at straws.

[kerrysum]

Yada, yada, yada..... I'm just looking for clues, at the scene of the crime.... Life's been good to me so far? Thank you Joe Walsh.... What a true song!

[empireboy]

Whoever handles the media for the police is doing a disastrous job of getting credible facts to the public. These people are simply pitiful!

WRONG, they're being internally terrorized by the ruling authorities AND the influential RTP chiefs to force feed the public with quick-fix sugar coated information. If the media refuses, they would make those people in power lose face, and could face serious defamation accusation against them....

I don't have the insight you clearly seem to have, but are they doing a pitiful job or not!?

[singhajim]

Always follow the money

[umbanda]

Looks like the bomber is the guy in Turkey with the Thai girlfriend.....If Turkey do not help will be hard to catch.

[arrowsdawdle]

Well they are getting somewhere and I hope they get the <deleted> soon and lock them up for life, as the death penalty is too good for them.

That is the impression they are trying to create for their population of non-critical thinkers.

[jimstar1]

Whoever handles the media for the police is doing a disastrous job of getting credible facts to the public. These people are simply pitiful!

Neville Shute is there PR Man

[snoopy21]

Holding a Chinese Passport? Or one of the 200 Passports he has?

[jacksam]

I have a side theory...reason why they talk about DNA (which would not be on week old 20b note) ....is to demonstrate that false DNA is never used into Thailand. Are there any recent cases of doubtful DNA being used.?

[rodknock]

oh, the dog and poney show continues.

are the police now going through the trash that was collected from the crime scene, in the dump!!

oh how the s--t flys. who is going to be blamed for some ones incompitance!! gotta save face and keep those rewards flowing and the brown bags comming.