Police believe political motives linked to Erawan Shrine blast
Play
Police investigators are convinced political motives were also behind last month's Erawan Shrine bombing, in addition to possible revenge by human smugglers upset by a government crackdown, the national police chief said Monday.
One of the Thai suspects was previously involved in “political bombings” during the unrest in 2010 and last year, national police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang told a press conference at the Royal Thai Police headquarters Monday afternoon.
The suspect, identified as Aod Payungwong or Yongyuth Pobkaew, was arrested in 2010 in connection with an explosion at an apartment building in Nonthaburi’s Bang Bua Thong district. Last year, an arrest warrant was issued for him in connection with an explosion in Bangkok’s Min Buri district.
Aod was also allegedy involved in many other criminal cases, according to the national police chief.
Both of the explosions occurred at times when protesters took to the streets against separate governments at that time – in 2010 against Abhisit Vejjajiva’s administration and in last year against Yingluck Shinawatra’s.
“A motive was the authorities’ crackdown on an Uighur human trafficking racket. Investigators believe that there are people who hired the perpetrators. Different groups of people were involved and they shared the same objective and desire,” Somyot said Monday.
