Junta states the Erawan Shrine bombing case is officially closed

We got em (Erawan Shrine) bombers,
case closed

   

Thailand’s Junta, has announced on August 17 the Erawan Shrine bombing case has been solved and is considered closed.  The Erawan Shrine blast killed 20 and wounded 120 people in the centre of Bangkok.  

The first arrest, few weeks after the bombing was Adern Karadak, also known as Bilal Mohamed, he was carrying a forged Polish passport and in searching his apartment bomb making equipment was found. 

The Erawan Shrine is a popular tourist attraction and because of this many of the dead and maimed were foreign nationals on holiday. Originally it was thought the bombing was in retaliation of the forced deportation of more than 100 ethnic Chinese Uighur back to China.   However, on closer observation the police discounted that theory and blamed it on their crackdown on human trafficking gangs.

Then came the number two arrest of Yusuf Mirabilis close to the Cambodian border or at the airport in Phnom Penh, seems to be some discussion here, though it is said in his pack was the yellow t shirt shown to be thought to be worn by the bomber. He was thought to be the bomb builder and passed the completed product to Karadk at the Hue Lumphong railroad station.

Both were turned over to the junta’s military for interrogation – in a rather shocking turn of events they both confessed to playing major roles in the bombing, they will be tried in a military court so will be unable to use their civilian rights. However, it is thought there were up to 17 other people  involved, so time will tell how this shakes out.

This event happened at an inopportune time for police Chief Somyat Poompunmuary who was set to retire.   At a press conference after the arrest of Karadk he displayed a block of money valued at $ 83,000 (US) as a reward for help in the closure of the case.  This week as he announced his retirement and the closing of the case and the $ 83,000 reward would be spread out among the officers working the case.  Good work if you can get it.

While the whole bombing, other than the deaths, destruction and maimed victims seem a bit murky.  Once the police get the suspects from the military things will start to fall in order, you think.  That's the word....

thanks for stopping by    Doug