AMLO finds money trail

[Lite Beer]

BANGKOK BOMB BLAST
AMLO finds money trail
THE NATION

Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) secretary-general Seehanat Prayoonrat points to a diagram showing the money trail involving people suspected of involvement in the Erawan Shrine bombing. He led a press conference at the AMLO headquarters yesterday.

BANGKOK: -- Probe reveals that overseas remittances helped suspect buy bomb materials

EVIDENCE suggests that money transferred to Thailand from overseas was used for purchase of bomb-making materials and that many more suspects might have played a role in the recent Bangkok bombings, the authorities said.

Anti-Money Laundering Office secretary-general Seehanat Prayoon-rat yesterday told a press conference: "We have convincing evidence in hand. We know where they went to spend the money."

He said 11 people, including Emrah Davutoglu, a Turkish man married to Thai woman Wanna Suansan, played a role in the financial transactions and had a possible link to the bomb attacks. "They are all foreigners," Seehanat said.

Davutoglu and Wanna are on the run after the authorities issued arrest warrants for them. Seehanat said Davutoglu and three other foreigners received remittances from abroad, while seven others transferred the money.

"Money came from two countries," Seehanat said, without elaborating.

The AMLO probe revealed that Davutoglu received about Bt156,000 from overseas in February, got a similar amount in March and Bt410,000 in April.

Two bomb blasts rocked Bangkok last month. One of them targeted the Erawan Shrine on August 17, killing 20 people and injuring more than 100 others. The other blast took place near the Sathorn pier the following day but did not cause any casualties.

Thai authorities have arrested two suspects in connection with the bombings. One of them, Mieraili Yusufu, told police that the alleged mastermind was Abdulrahman, also known by the aliases Abdus Sattar and Izan. Izan left Thailand on a Bangladesh-bound flight on August 16.

Latest leads obtained by police investigators indicate that the two men involved in the blasts have been in hiding near a border in the South, national police spokesman General Prawut Thavornsiri said yesterday.

They are referred to as "the man in yellow shirt" and "the man in blue shirt" based on what they were wearing on the day of the bombing.

"Thanks to convincing witness testimonies and evidence, we are certain that the suspects are still in hiding, not far from the borderline. We are sure of getting them for prosecution," the police spokesman said.

He added that police would seek an arrest warrant for Izan on Monday.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday that he had sought the cooperation from every country, including Bangladesh and China, in the search for Izan who, if he were not the mastermind, was likely involved in the attacks.

National police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang said he could not confirm or deny a report stating that Thailand was yet to coordinate with Bangladeshi authorities on the matter. He said the report might be based on a rumour.

"So many rumours now … I have instructed Immigration Police to keep an eye out for suspects at all checkpoints in the entire country," he said.

The Bangladeshi police said the alleged mastermind had left their country for China after a two-week stay in the country.

Bangladeshi assistant inspector-general (media) Nazrul Islam told The Daily Star online that the suspect arrived in Dhaka on August 16 and left for Beijing on August 30.

An official at the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok told The Nation that the Chinese authorities were not aware of the report. He said Beijing maintained a firm stance on the matter and was waiting for official confirmation from Thai investigators. "We don't comment on rumours," he said.

Prawut, meanwhile, met the Bangladeshi ambassador in Bangkok yesterday to seek information on the movement of the alleged mastermind.

"As far as we know, Izan left Thailand for Bangladesh but there is no clear information as to his next destination," he said.

Information from investigation teams shows that when Izan left Bangkok for Dhaka he had been granted permission to stay in Thailand until December.

There is a lot of confusion over his stay in Thailand that the teams have not yet verified.

Prayut said earlier that he had ordered an investigation into irregularities at the Immigration Department after Somyot disclosed that an arrested bomb suspect had bribed immigration police every time he travelled in and out of Thailand.

Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said yesterday that the 11th Military Circle compound can be used as a special detention facility for Yusufu and Karadag for the convenience of prosecutors. He said they would be removed from a Correction Department facility when the military compound was ready.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/AMLO-finds-money-trail-30268658.html

-- The Nation 2015-09-12

[Lite Beer]

AMLO: One bombing suspect received over 700,000 baht from foreign sources

BANGKOK: -- Examination of the bank accounts of one of the three bombing suspects showed that over 700,000 baht were wired into his bank accounts from overseas during February-April this year, according to the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO).

AMLO secretary-general Pol Col Seehanart Prayoonrat told a press conference on Friday that AMLO officials had traced the money trail of three bombing suspects namely Ms Wanna Suansan, her husband Mr Amra Dawukotu and Meirali Yusufu.

Only Yusufu has been arrested while Ms Wanna and her husband who is a Turkish are still at large although warrants have been issued for their arrest.

The officials found out that Ms Wanna whose whereabout is unknown have opened nine bank accounts – three Krung Thai Bank accounts, four Bangkok Bank accounts, one Siam Commercial Bank account and one Kasikornthai Bank account; Amra has one account with SCB and Yusufu has one Bangkok Bank account.

For Amra’s SCB account, it was discovered that monies were wired into the account on two occasions from overseas namely 156,106.10 baht on February 17 this year, 157,646.10 baht on March 17 and 410,000 baht on April 7, said Pol Col Seehanart.

After that, money was withdrawn from the account there were only 395.45 baht left in the account on July 2. On August 27, 14,495 baht were wired into the account.

Further investigation showed that the monies which were wired into Amra’s SCB account originated from seven people in Turkey and China who also wired money into the bank accounts of three other people in Thailand. The money transfers started in February last year and altogether one million baht were transferred.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/amlo-one-bombing-suspect-received-over-700000-baht-from-foreign-sources

-- Thai PBS 2015-09-12

[Seastallion]

As long as you have a professional-looking diagram, everything is going OK.

[terryp]

this must have been a hugly funded cell to require a MASSIVE 27 grand a month ...how much was the BKK rent?

[pmugghc]

Come on all TVF "special investigators", there must be many ways to ridicule their work. Some jokes about the reward money? Enactment? They are all muppets?

[jaywalker]

As long as you have a professional-looking diagram, everything is going OK.

Don't forget the nifty magic wand pointer.

My daughter has one of those.

[anto]

>>They are all muppets?<<

Takes one to know one .

[canopus1969]

That looks very much like the wiring diagram for my shed

[davehowden]

canopus1969

Expensive shed !!!

[mikemac]

Come on all TVF "special investigators", there must be many ways to ridicule their work. Some jokes about the reward money? Enactment? They are all muppets?

Oh, you must mean Special Branch, "Sukhumvit Yard".

Its plain to see that the RTP do not read TVF, as every crime committed in the country is solved usually on page 1 of the topic.

[springheeled jack]

these criminals should be in police custody not in an army compound this case has nothing to do with the army it is and always has been a police matter.

[Shermanator]

There's nothing greater than a nice diagramme...

Edited September 12, 2015 by Shermanator

[Shermanator]

[Shermanator]

[ourmanflint]

I am amazed at these bombers, actually recieving money to blow up Erawan Shrine 5 months before the Uighurs were deported from Thailand shows great foresight on their part.

[phoenixdoglover]

I am amazed at these bombers, actually recieving money to blow up Erawan Shrine 5 months before the Uighurs were deported from Thailand shows great foresight on their part.

Indeed. This money was not for the bombing. I guess the Thai officials don't want to talk about it.

[I knew this would happen]

"They are all foreigners"

Glad we have pointed this out

[kiwikeith]

I am amazed at these bombers, actually recieving money to blow up Erawan Shrine 5 months before the Uighurs were deported from Thailand shows great foresight on their part.

Indeed. This money was not for the bombing. I guess the Thai officials don't want to talk about it.

Money from Turkey and China, your probably right, they dont want to talk about the possible people smuggling rackett from Uighurs to Thailand and Turkey to ISIS.

Looks more like it everyday.

The money it seems was for people smuggling, the bomb attack was Uighur revenge.

I think as time went by they thought they were bullet proof.

These guys might have gone undetected if they had not bombed Erewan, but now the plot seems to involve corrupt border officials who patheticaly have been posted to inactive roles instead of being arrested and tried for being involved in this.

Which ever way, if no more arrests are made the carpet sweepers will move in and all will be fine again in the LOS------ until.

I went to market at Arranyaprathet a few days ago and visa run, as we went through police checkpoints at 7pm they were unmanned, maybe Uighurs not travel at night or maybe tea break.

Edited September 13, 2015 by kiwikeith

[Fat Haggis]

Very complex operation for being "non international terrorists"

[chrisinth]

Sorry, still can't see the link.

It dispels the theory that this was indeed a revenge attack at Thailand's deportation of the Uighurs as the money trail was in operation months before this happened.

If the money trail was to finance the half-way house for the Uighurs, that i could understand as it would make sense.

Not saying that the investigators aren't clever at what they do, because they most certainly are, but i would suggest proper evaluation of the data before making announcements to the public.

Also for them to remember that it not their foremost criteria to keep the public informed during an on-going investigation of every step in that investigation, regardless of what the media sources and social media might think....................

[MaxLee]

There's nothing greater than a nice diagramme...

They know that the Thai public, won't understand such complicated diagrams, nor would they care to understand. That's why the photo session to sugarcoat the AMLO's effort...

[Thai at Heart]

In the age of Internet banking I cannot believe this took 3 weeks to put together.