Thailand seeks Malaysia's help track phone used in bomb blast
Thai security forces are seeking Malaysia's cooperation in investigating a series of bombings in several southern provinces between Thursday and yesterday, killing four people and injuring 35.
According to security sources, Thailand sought Malaysia's cooperation to investigate a mobile phone used in one of the bomb blasts in Phuket, yesterday, which is said to have originated from Malaysia.
"The explosion did not destroy a portion of the mobile phone with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's serial number still visible on the phone and Thai investigators have asked for Malaysia's cooperation to identify the origin of the phone," the source told Bernama today.
A mobile phone chip with the serial number is an important evidence in investigations to identify and track down the perpetrator or perpetrators responsible for the bomb blasts.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous following the sensitive nature of the information, said the mobile phone chip together with the serial number has been handed over to the Malaysian police for further action.
The SIM (Subsciber Identity Module) card, of the mobile phone, however, is believed to have been destroyed in the explosion, the source said, adding that it is not easy to track down the phone owner because it might have changed hands several times.
In the series of bomb blasts in the southern provinces of Thailand, mobile phones were used as tools to activate (detonate) the homemade bombs (improvised explosive device IED).
Two homemade bombs exploded in the popular island resort of Phuket yesterday, one each in Patong and Kathu at 7.45am (local time) and 8.45am but only one person suffered a minor injury.
On Aug 10, local security authorities discovered two homemade bombs following a public tip-off in Paradise and China Town Markets in Phuket and managed to diffuse them.
Bomb blasts also occurred in the resort of Hua Hin, on Thursday and yesterday morning, killing two people and injuring dozens of others, including 10 foreign tourists.
Two blasts also occurred in Surat Thani yesterday where one person died, and a blast at a market in Trang two days ago also claimed a life.
Besides the bomb explosions, several attacks were also reported in the southern provinces of Thailand.
The investigation team, as quoted by the local media, have concluded that all the bombings are related to each other because the tools used are the same as well as the use of mobile phones to activate the bombs.//Bernama, Malaysiakini
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