Thai, Turkish officials dispute Bangkok bomber whereabouts

Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said that an arrest warrant has been issued for Abdul Tawab on charges of conspiracy to possess unauthorised explosives and conspiracy to possess unauthorised war materials.

Zee News of India reports that Tawab was implicated by another suspect, Yusufu Mieraili, who was arrested on September 1 near the Thai-Cambodian border.

“The Royal Thai Police Chief has claimed he has never said the Ratchaprasong blast was triggered by Thailand’s deportation of Uighurs to China”.

Pol Gen Somyot admitted that, so far, it was still unclear whether the three suspects – two Malaysians and one Pakistani – had any linkages to the bombing suspects in Thailand and, hence, it was doubtful what would have gained if a police team had been dispatched to Malaysia.

The current theory seems to be that Tawab’s organization helped the bombers enter and escape from Thailand.

“We do not have the chance to interrogate them yet so we cannot know if they were involved or not”, he said.

Thai police had previously said the man, carrying a Chinese passport in the name Abudureheman Abudusataer, may have directed the August 17 bombing of the Erawan Shrine.

Tavornsiri’s remarks also suggested the Thai police might be relenting on their conviction that Ishan is hiding out in Turkey, an assertion the Turkish government has disputed.

“I am not sure if we are able to talk with them (the three people)…in principle, they allow us to interrogate the suspects but we have to see”, he said, adding that he obtained useful information during his trip and the Malaysian police had been very cooperative.

Voice of America News (VOA) notes that cracking the Uighur smuggling ring was the big break for Thai police, who had drawn criticism for handling the investigation poorly in the first few days after the blast.

It says the 40-year-old Tawab frequented an apartment where police found bomb-making materials and arrested another suspect.

Alternatively, the Thai police could provide some questions to be asked through the Malaysian police in case there was a legal obstruction for the Thai police to interview the suspects, he said.