Police seize chemicals cache

News > Local News

Terror suspect leads way to bomb materials

Published: 17 Jan 2012 at 00.06
Newspaper section: News

Police have charged a Swedish-Lebanese man with suspected links to the Hezbollah militant group with possession of prohibited substances after they found a huge cache of materials used for making explosives in Samut Sakhon's Muang district Monday.

The Swedish passport used to enter Thailand and carried by Mr Atris when he was arrested last week.

More than 200 police Monday raided a three-storey commercial building in the Mahachai area after Hussein Atris, a Lebanese man carrying a Swedish passport, was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday evening.

National Police chief Priewpan Damapong said 4,380kg of urea-based fertiliser and 290 litres of ammonium nitrate were found on the second floor of the building.

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not the usual farang

Discussion 32 : 19 Jan 2012 at 05.2232
Reply to Disc 11. The majority of deaths in Bali is correct for the 2002 bombing. In 2005 another terrorist bombing claimed more local Indonesian lives than any other nationality. Australians were second highest.
from iPhone application.
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kena
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Discussion 31 : 18 Jan 2012 at 09.0431
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Not surprising: Thailand is overwhelmingly concerned about its 'image'. Thai authorities are reluctantly pursing this issue (while dragging their feet), only because of US and Israeli pressure to do so. Surely, Thai authorities would like to let these guys go (as they let one go last week), and not attract attention to itself for reprisals. Yet, the war on terror is not a walk in the park. It takes some tough counter-measures to be effective.
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med142
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Discussion 30 : 17 Jan 2012 at 15.2230
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Khun Spiceman#2 Yes the war on terror is in the shadowlands and always will be that i agree. Anyone who dies by the hand of a terrorist, Then the terroist should pay the consequences. But you know the war on terrorism will always exist. As long as there are governments who interfere with another countries politics, such as irag, Peru, colombia, etc. This will cause discord and factions will arise to fight this.What should have happened in this case is proper co-ordination and coherant information.This was not the case. If the Americans want this man then let them go through the extradition channels, they should not interfere in another countries handling of a situation, not matter how bad it is. This only leads to further discourse.Then who knows what will happen.I have first hand experience of the affects of terrorism, coming from the uk.The handling of this has been a shambles.Just 1 loss of life through terrorism is one to many.
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lungstib
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Discussion 29 : 17 Jan 2012 at 15.2129
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Would the Thai police have looked so hard without the warning? There was a warning, bomb making material has been found. Sounds o.k. to me or have I missed something?
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koolbreez
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Discussion 28 : 17 Jan 2012 at 13.4628
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Is this where the bomb making material used in the deep South was coming from?

What really was uncovered here? Where are the other suspects the Thai security agencies have been tracking for the last year?
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Jock
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Discussion 27 : 17 Jan 2012 at 13.1927
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If Thailand Government and Security Forces stay in denial over this serious threat to their Country and People (and don't kid yourself his bombs were only for export!) the Developed World will continue to issue security warnings to their holiday makers to Thailand. That will really hurt your Tourist Trade and remember, the terrorist needs to get it right only once. The Security Forces need to get it right everytime to prevent carnage on their streets/night clubs. It is also time that Chalerm stopped firing from the hip and being the proverbial loud-mouthed bully boy - grow up and start acting in a responsible manner.
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bud
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Discussion 26 : 17 Jan 2012 at 12.5226
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@spiceman, I still remember what happen in 1998 during Clinton year, people blamed Bush for false and lie about WMD, but do not saying anything about what Clinton did. Did Clinton also lie about WMD about Hussein having WMD?
Here is the speech from Clinton in 1998:
"Earlier today, I ordered Americas armed forces to strikemilitary and security targets in Iraq. They are joined byBritish forces. Their mission is to attack Iraqs nuclear,chemical and biological weapons programs and its militarycapacity to threaten its neighbors.

Their purpose is to protect the national interest of theUnited States, and indeed the interests of people throughout theMiddle East and around the world.

Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighborsor the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biologicalweapons."
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joe_blow
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Discussion 25 : 17 Jan 2012 at 10.0825
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davidinbkk got it right.....what on earth is that guy doing sitting on that much questionable material with no legitimate business or commercial justifcation.....nobody holds that much dangerous stuff for that long a time without something bad in the works....it's a credit to US, Israeli and Thai governments to cooperate and catch this bad dude. How many tourists will it take out when they copy cat a Bali nightclub in Pattaya or Koh Samui......think about it for a few minutes before you bad mouth the US for issuing a warning
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dao
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Discussion 24 : 17 Jan 2012 at 09.2724
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Oh we found a cashe of explosive material now take us off your terror watch list .Why would a foreigner come to Thailand purchase huge amounts of bomb making material and then just leave it claiming he was going ti send it to another country .Which other country in this region ? They found somebodies bomb making material but judging by the haste with which they found it and how long it was there I would say it probably belongs to someone who had reason to use it in the last year or so in the political conflict .Nice try though .
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bkksim
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Discussion 23 : 17 Jan 2012 at 08.3423
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My question in all of this is: Why did the Lebanese man confess so quickly? The Thai Police had nothing on him. No proof that he had done anything wrong.
90 days later he walks. But out of his kind nature he decided to tell the police where there was a house full of chemicals that could be used to make a bomb.
And he also said that they had been planning an attack on Thailand but the time was wrong. But then hold on! Didn't he say that it was only held in Thailand to ship to other countries????

Lets get real here if he is a real terrorist. He would not help the police esp knowing the police had nothing to hold him on.
Something very fishy here!!!!
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