Police are tracking down four more suspects wanted on arrest warrants in connection with the Bangkok bombings early this month, with two suspects already in detention
Speaking after being briefed by investigators on Friday morning, deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said the four suspects were "real people" with 13-digit ID card numbers.
The court arrest warrants were not based on their ID card photos, he said, but evidence. Some also had previous records of creating unrest.
Police had secured nine arrest warrants in the case - two obtained by Pathumwan police station, five by Phaya Thai police and two by Thung Song Hong police station. - for a total of six suspects. Two of them had been caught and the Criminal Court had already extended their period of detention, Pol Gen Srivara said.
The court on Thursday approved a police request to further detain Lu-sai Sae-ngae, 23, and Widan Maha, 29, both from Narathiwat, for the first period of 12 days, from Aug 15 to Aug 26. Police opposed bail, saying they were a flight risk and might interfere with evidence.
Mr Lu-sai and Mr Widan are accused of placing two bombs, which authorities initially said were dummy devices, in front of police headquarters in Bangkok on Aug 1, the day before the series of small bombs and incendiary devices went off in the city and in adjoining Nonhaburi province.
A security camera recorded one of the two men leaving a plastic bag near the fence outside the Royal Thai Police Office on Rama I Road on the evening of Aug 1.
Pol Gen Srivara declined to comment on reports that 18 people suspected of involvement were rounded up in the far South, saying he could not go into details of security cases,
Authorities would speed up forensic testing, but there were many evidential samples and that required time, he said. Forensic tests had already been conducted on 17 vehicles, with 70-80 samples from each of them, he said.
