NEW DELHI: Two Indians were detained for questioning by Thai police in relation to the Thailand’s deadliest bombing at the shrine for Erawan (Brahma) in downton Bangkok last month, which killed over 20 people and over 100 injured.
Both of them were taken to a military camp for questioning by a team of 20 Thai police and Soldiers on Sunday from their residence at Maimuna Garden home apartments in eastern Bangkok on Sunday night at 9 p.m.
As per sources, both are long term residents of Thailand with valid work visas. However, their identity is not being officially disclosed.
According to Thai sources, they were seen talking to one of Erawan bomb suspects in custody, Yusufu Mieraili several times after going through CCTV footage at the apartment complex.
Thai police had earlier raided the complex on Sep 2 and found bomb-making materials in a room rented by a Thai-muslim woman Wanna Suasan, who had left for Turkey with her husband six weeks before the bombing. The Indian duo were staying in the room next to the one raided by the police.
Diplomatic sources said that the police was not treating them as suspects, but as witnesses. “They are being questioned to corroborate the evidence, if they had seen any conversation between the accused,” he stated.
They were likely to be released on Monday night after “signing a statement”.
So far, Police have arrested two foreign nationals. One of them is identified as Yusufu Mieraili, who carried a Chinese passport with birth place as Xinjiang. He was arrested on Sep 1, while attempting to enter Cambodia. On Monday, Thai police said that Mieraili had confessed to possessing explosives.
The Erawan bombing left over 20 dead, including six Chinese nationals, which turned the needle of suspicion to Uighur minority.
Thailand was, earlier an easy transit, for Uighur minority members to leave China and make their way to Turkey and western countries. Some of them used this route to join the civil war in Syria.
However, with warming ties with China after the military coup, Thai military junta has cracked down on Uighury refugees. Earlier this year, around 100 Uighurs were deported back to China, which sparked protests in Islamist groups in Turkey. There had even been attacks on Thai and Chinese diplomatic posts.
The second accused arrested has been identified as Adem Karadag, who had several Turkish passports and bomb making material in his apartment.
However, as per reports, Thai Police believe that neither are said to have planted the bomb at the shrine on Aug 17.
Besides the two arrested, Thai security authorities are searching for 11 wanted persons for involvement in the attack.