Police to seek arrest warrant for 5th suspect in Sukhumvit blasts

BANGKOK, Feb 19 -- Police are seeking court approval to issue an arrest warrant for the fifth suspect possibly involved in the explosions in Bangkok's Sukhumvit area on Tuesday, according to Pol Gen Pansiri Prapawat, deputy national police chief overseeing the case.

Gen Pansiri told reporters on Saturday after a meeting of investigators that they resolved to seek court approval for an arrest warrant for the fifth suspect, a Middle Eastern man who appeared on CCTV footage.

The CCTV captured images of him walking from the rented house where the first bomb apparently exploded by accident.

According to the CCTV record, he had left the house between 7-8 am, and the first explosion occurred at a rented house in Sukhumvit 71’s Soi Pridi Panomyong 31 that afternoon.

He said the investigation so far did not find any Thais involved with the blasts.

National Police Bureau Chief Pol Gen Priewpan Dhamapong earlier said that the fifth suspect has already left Thailand.

Thailand’s Criminal Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for four Iranians on various charges related to Tuesday’s Bangkok bomb incidents.

Two Iranian suspects were arrested earlier -- Saeid Moradi, 28, who lost both legs from his own explosive device -- and another suspect, Mohammad Hazaei, 42, who was taken into custody at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday while attempting to board a plane bound for Malaysia.

A third Iranian - identified as Masoud Sedaghatzadeh - was arrested on Wednesday by Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur, and Thai authorities were requesting to extradite him to Thailand for prosecution.

Regarding a fourth suspect, an Iranian national identified as Rohani Leila, Immigration Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Wiboon Bangthamai cited intelligence reports that she returned to the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Ms Rohani was identified as the person who rented the house at Sukhumvit 71’s Soi Pridi Panomyong 31.

Meanwhile, the forensic experts and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit have inspected a motorcycle that was bought by one of the suspects under an outstanding arrest warrant.

The motorcycle was parked in front of an electrical appliance shop not far from Sukhumvit 71’s Soi Pridi Panomyong 36 and the owner of the shop informed police that he saw the suspect riding the motorcycle and parking in front of his shop before walking to the rented house everyday.

According to the investigation, police said that the motorcycle was used by Mr Sedaghatzadeh. He bought from a shop in Khlong Ton districe since December.

After a search of the motorcycle, police found six 5x10 cm stickers which were the same as those found when police searched a room at Nasa Vagas Tower, rented by Ms Rohani.

Police said that at the moment they could not specify whether or not the motorcycle was involved with the blasts as further investigation was needed. (MCOT online news)

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