Bangkok blast: Suspect arrested over Erawan Shrine bombing

A man who is “likely involved” in Bangkok blast has been arrested by the Thai police on Friday.

On August 17, Central Bangkok was hit by a deadly bomb explosion outside a religious shrine, killing at least 27 people and wounding several others. Among those dead, four of them are reported to be foreigners. Most of the injured were tourists from China and Taiwan.

"We have detained one person," Deputy National Police Chief General Chaktip Chaijinda said on national TV. Bomb-making explosives were found in the suspect’s apartment, he added. “I am confident that he is likely involved with the bomb attack.”

Thai authorities are after a man who was caught on CCTV footage wearing a yellow t-shirt leaving a bag at the shrine minutes before explosion. However, General Chaktip couldn’t confirm whether the detained man is the chief suspect seen on camera.

Local media said the man was arrested in an apartment block situated in the eastern outskirts of Bangkok. Thai police have also found several passports inside his apartment and are yet to confirm his original nationality. Later, National Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said that he was a "foreigner.” The suspect "looks like the one we are looking for," he added.

As the investigation continues, police have accused the Thai government of poor maintenance over broken security cameras, which have prevented the police from smooth investigation. Investigators have said the explosion has put tourists’ safety in jeopardy and damaged the reputation of Thailand’s tourism industry.

According to the ABC, Thai police have included international jihadists, members of Thailand's southern Malay-Muslim insurgency and China's ethnic Uighur minority as potential groups that could be behind the attack. They have also interrogated three Uighur Muslims who were suspected to be in connection with the Bangkok bombing. Last week, Thai police also said they were not ruling out any possibility about who could be behind the blast.

Royal Thai Police Commissioner Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung said that several groups are behind the attack. He issued a statement saying, "This operation was carried out by a big network.”

According to the government-run National News Bureau of Thailand, police have also doubled the reward to THB $2 million (approximately AU$76,600) for any information on the suspect that would result in his arrest.

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