The latest suspect caught in connection with the deadly bombing at Erawan shrine on Aug 17 has admitted he assembled the bomb before handing it to a yellow-shirted suspect who subsequently planted the device at the shrine, a police source said Sunday.
Yusufu Mieraili, a 25-year-old man detained in Sa Kaeo province on Tuesday, has been in military custody at the 11th Army Circle in Bangkok since he was taken from the eastern province.
Police investigators from the Metropolitan Police Bureau were invited to interrogate him at the army camp.
The police source said Mr Mieraili had told the military authorities and the police during interrogation that he was hired by his boss to buy chemicals from shops in Min Buri. After that he used them to make the bomb at his room in Bangkok's Nong Chok district. The source said Mr Mieraili did not say any more about his boss.
- Earlier report: Suspect denies he was bomber
Mr Mieraili also told investigators that after he finished making the bomb on Aug 17, he travelled to Hua Lamphong railway station and handed the bomb to the yellow-shirted suspect who later planted the device at the Erawan shrine the same day, the source said.
Mr Mieraili admitted he had never met the yellow-shirted suspect before, the source added.
Details in Mr Mieraili's confession correspond with images captured by a CCTV camera in Min Buri district which showed Mr Mieraili buying chemicals from shops in Min Buri on July 21 and Aug 12, the source said.
This police source said Mr Mieraili was also seen on camera at the site of the bombing on Aug 17 with the yellow-shirted man who police believe placed the explosives.
Police think Mr Mieraili detonated the bomb before escaping in a taxi heading to the Pratunam area. However, the source did not elaborate on why they believe Mr Mieraili detonated the bomb and from where he did it.
Earlier, National Police Chief Gen Somyot Poompunmuang said most of the security cameras installed along the escape route from Ratchaprasong intersection to the Silom area were broken.
Mr Mieraili was carrying a Chinese passport which gave his place of birth as China's western region of Xinjiang, but it was unclear if it was authentic.
The source said Mr Mieraili's connection to the blast network is likely to become clearer after the suspect is handed over to police today.
Police will take him to the Min Buri court and ask for permission to detain him for 12 more days.
Meanwhile, a combined force of 60 police and army officers Sunday raided several apartment buildings and rental houses in the Nimit Mai area of Min Buri district in search of various suspects and certain items, but found nothing.
Pol Col Wattana Yichin, deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 3 overseeing Min Buri police station, said the raid was part of crime suppression measures as many foreigners rent apartments and houses in the area.
Pol Col Wattana said if the court approves the request to detain Mr Mieraili today, he will be held for questioning at Min Buri police station.