Thailand is seeking the extradition of one of six suspects detained recently in Malaysia's Kelantan state next to the deep South with bomb-making materials, who is also wanted by Thai police in connection with the southern unrest, army chief Chalermchai Sittisat says.
The six men who are believed to be members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) may have to be prosecuted in Malaysia first before the suspect is deported to Thailand, Gen Chalermchai said.
The army commander, however, admitted that he was uncertain whether the Malaysian authorities will ever agree to have the suspect extradited to Thailand.
And in response to rumours that the six suspects are linked to the Islamic State (IS), Gen Chalermchai said he could not confirm that at this point as the definition of "being linked to" the IS may vary in terms of connection in that some may only have inspired by or adopted ideas from the IS.
Malaysian authorities, who conducted raids on suspected IS hideouts last week, said the arrested Thais were not believed to be linked to the Islamic State, but were assembling bombs they probably planned to use in Thailand.
He was responding to the reported crackdowns carried out by Malaysian police at locations in Kelantan's Pasir Mas district on Jan 15, just across the border from Narathiwat province in Thailand.
Arrested at the first five houses searched were four men identified as Sayuti Bin Harong, 33, Zai Bin Ali, 43, Zakariya Bin Nur, 40, and Marobi Bin Dami, 47. No documents pertaining the countries of origin of these suspects were found.
Two more suspects apprehended at the sixth house searched were identified as Marosuedi Bin Mali, 50, and Zaifuloh Bil Nikabdulasis, 26. Document regarding the countries of origin of these suspects were not found either.
Seized along with the arrests of these suspects were gallons of chemicals found to be sodium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, ethyl alcohol, sulphur, potassium nitrate and petroleum gel.
A total of 352 sets of electronic circuit boards, four electric switches, 14 sets of electrical circuit boards, electric wires, two walkie-talkies, a pair of binoculars, five Nokia and Samsung mobile phone handsets and some books about circuit boards were also confiscated.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha confirmed Thai security officials are seeking to work with their Malaysian counterparts over the possible deportation of the suspects to face prosecution in Thailand.
A source who is a security official working in Thailand's southern borders said Kelantan, especially Pasir Mas, has become a popular sanctuary for southern insurgents fleeing into the neighbouring country after carrying out attacks in southern Thailand.
Security organisations in the far South now believe the six were active members of the insurgency network behind the southern unrest, said the source.
However, since the suspects were identified by their Malaysian names when they were apprehended, Thai authorities have been unable to verify who they actually are by matching their names with information in the Thai authorities' database of southern insurgent suspects, said the same source.
NOTE: Because ofd an editing error, this story previously identified the Malaysian state of Kelantan incorrectly.