Revenge for the deportation of Uighurs to China and Turkey could be the motive behind the bomb blasts at the Erawan shrine and Sathon pier last month, police chief Somyot Poompunmuang said Tuesday.
It is the first time Thai authorities have pinpointed the deportation of 109 Uighurs in July as the possible motive behind the Aug 17 shrine bomb which killed 20 people and injured 130.
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However, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha continued to play down the theory that the deportation led to the attack.
Pol Gen Somyot said a trafficking syndicate was angered after authorities scuppered its business, and this was a strong motive for the bomb attack.
Police chief Somyot Poompunmuang believes at least five Thais and 17 foreigners planned the Aug 17 bombing to retaliate for interfering with their human trafficking rings. (Photo by Pornprom Satrabhaya)
The police chief said the shrine blast and July's attack on the Thai consulate in Istanbul, Turkey "were motivated by the same thing".
The consulate was ransacked following outrage after Thailand deported the Uighurs to China.
Pol Gen Somyot said Thailand was part of the trafficking route to Turkey. When the operation was disrupted, they "were infuriated" and vented their anger on the consulate, he said.
"Thailand did not only send Uighur migrants to China, but also to Turkey, based on nationality verification," Pol Gen Somyot said.
He said efforts have been made to prevent the smuggling of people through Thailand.
"When they were unable to enter [Thailand], they had to find their own way and we had nothing to do with that," Pol Gen Somyot said.
"When they were blocked from using the country as a pathway, they turned to take action against us with anger. I do not think it is right."
He said the deportation of the Uighurs to China was carried out between the two countries according to the law.
Gen Prayut poured cold water on the deportation motive.
"Preliminarily, they were not connected and I do not think there are any links," Gen Prayut said. "If that was the case, someone would have come out to claim responsibility." However, he did say the theory could not be ruled out.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said he believed a human trafficking crackdown by Thai authorities led to the bomb blasts.
Meanwhile, a police team, led by deputy national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda, who is overseeing the investigation into the bombings, led a team to Malaysia on Tuesday, to share information with authorities there about the three suspects arrested in the country suspected of being linked to the bombings.
The trip followed an announcement by Malaysian police on Tuesday that a Pakistani and two Malaysians were arrested in connection with the Bangkok bombings a few days ago.
Pol Gen Somyot said the team would coordinate and exchange information with Malaysian officials, but would not carry out any investigations there.
He said initial information found no direct connections between the trio and the bomb blasts in Bangkok, but they are believed to know some information pertaining to the case.
A source familiar with the investigation said 22 people were found to be connected with the bombing network, including five Thais.
Abudureheman Abudusataer, also known as Ishan, supervised the bombing operation with another mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes, the source said.
The Thai suspects are Wanna Suansan, who rented a room at the Maimuna Garden apartments, where bomb-making materials were discovered; and Kamarudeng Sahoh, the head of the team that helped some of the bomb cell suspects flee from Narathiwat province to Malaysia.
The other cell members are Chob Sakulthong, a taxi driver who drove a suspect to the southern bus terminal; Thapirunlak Klainak, a bus driver who transported suspects to Narathiwat; and a man, identified only Pordeh, who helped suspects cross the border to Malaysia.
Meanwhile, a senior Turkish government official denied information unveiled by police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri that Mr Ishan travelled to the country, the Associated Press reported.
"There is no record of the suspect having entered Turkey," the official was quoted as saying on condition of anonymity. "Nor have the Thai authorities informed us that a terrorism suspect was travelling to Turkey," he said.
The Turkish embassy in Thailand also issued a statement saying it has not been contacted by Thai authorities as reported in local media and "we do not have information concerning the investigation".
However, Pol Gen Somyot said police received information from the Bangladeshi embassy in Thailand.
Chuchart Kanphai, the lawyer of Adem Karadag, 28, an arrested suspect whose real name was verified as Bilal Turk, said his client was born in China but migrated to Turkey in 2004 with his family.
The following infographic shows five Thais and 17 foreigners allegedly involved in the Aug 17 bombing, which police believe was retaliation for the July 8 Uighur rendition.
