Police find two more suspects in Sukhumvit blasts

BANGKOK, Feb 29 --The Thai authorities have identified two additional suspects who may have been involved with Bangkok’s Valentine’s Day blasts on Sukhumvit Soi 71, after re-examining closed-circuit television footage and evidence collected. In consequence police are seeking court-sanctioned arrest warrants for them.

Pol Gen Pansiri Prapawat, deputy national police chief overseeing the case, on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the investigation team discussing the two suspects, both Middle Eastern men, who appeared on closed circuit television (CCTV) footage. He said they might have been involved with the Feb 14 Bangkok bomb incidents.

The first suspect, aged 20-30 years old, is believed to be still in Thailand. His image was recorded on CCTV at the Ramkhamhaeng Station on the Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link, accompanied Norouzi Shaya Ali Akbar, 57, the fifth suspect held under an arrest warrant, to Suvarnabhumi airport.

He was escorting Mr Norouzi all the time, according to the CCTV evidence. The man was seen handing over documents to Behbudi Ali-reza, 36, another suspect seen on the CCTV record.

According to the investigation, Mr Behbudi travelled from Iran to Thailand many times and the latest trip was Feb 7 before returning to Tehran with Mr Norouzi on Feb 14, the day of the bomb incidents.

It was believed that Mr Behbudi may have gathered information or have planned the bomb attack for the group to undertake, but that he was not involved with making bombs.

Arrest warrants have so far been issued for Saeid Moradi, 26, who lost both legs from his own explosive device, and Mohammad Hazaei, 42, who was taken into custody at Suvarnabhumi Airport while attempting to board a plane bound for Malaysia. Masoud Sedaghatzadeh was arrested by Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur. The Thai authorities are seeking his extradition.

Leila Rohani was identified as the person renting the house, but she already left Thailand.

The fifth suspect is Norouzi Shaya Ali Akbar, captured by a CCTV camera as he walked away from the rented house where the first explosive device exploded, apparently by accident.

As for the extradition request for Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, Gen Pansiri said the Malaysian authorities asked for additional documents and the Thai officials would forward them as requested.

Gen Pansiri said that the case was considered well prepared as stickers with the word "SEJEAL" were posted at various locations which could have been linked with 440 identical stickers found at Ms Rohani's abandoned room.

The deputy police chief said the investigation team was waiting for Mr Moradi’s recovery before questioning and officially charging him. (MCOT online news)
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