Bangkok Bombing: Thai National Arrested In Narathiwat Province, Taken To Bangkok For Questioning

A Thai Muslim man was arrested Tuesday in the southern province of Narathiwat in Thailand for his alleged involvement in the Aug. 17 Erawan shrine bombing and was later taken to Bangkok for questioning, the Bangkok Post reported Thursday, citing local reports.

The 38-year-old man, identified as Kamarudeng Saho, was arrested at his house in Sungai Kolok town, near the Malaysia-Thailand border, by a government security unit.

Saho was reportedly taken to Bangkok by helicopter was being held at the 11th Army Circle headquarters on Wednesday afternoon. The Bangkok Post added that the latest reports confirm police spokesman Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri's comments Wednesday that the Narathiwat Task Force 36 had arrested a bombing suspect.

Saho had allegedly contacted Wanna Suansan, the other Thai and only female suspect in the blast investigation, who has so far denied allegations. Police have issued arrest warrants for Suansan and her Turkish husband Emrah Davutoglu, both of whom are believed to be in Turkey.

Meanwhile, the country’s Crime Suppression Division is reportedly keeping a close watch on the 3,000 ethnic Uighurs in the country to probe possible links between extremists from the community and the blasts, the Bangkok Post reported.

A suspect arrested from the Thailand-Cambodia border earlier this week reportedly belonged to China’s Uighur ethnic minority, but has so far denied involvement in the blast which killed 20 and injured over 100 people.

Thai police had initially suspected that Uighur militants carried out the attack to retaliate against forced deportation from the country.