Four Malaysians were among eight individuals arrested by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) in connection to the bombing of a shrine in Bangkok on August 17.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim said Malaysian law enforcement cooperated with their Thai counterparts in apprehending the eight suspects, in separate operations in Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur.
“I would like to clarify following the bombing, police have worked together with Thai counterparts in efforts to locate and arrest those involved in the bombing,” he said today, as quoted by The Malay Mail Online‘s Kamles Kumar.
“As of now, we’ve arrested eight suspects. Four are foreigners of Uighur origin. Four of them are locals. Those locals arrested were involved in human trafficking.”
The Deputy IGP explained, however, that authorities are still in the process of verifying the identities of those detained, and none of the eight suspects have admitted to being complicit in the crime yet.
“So far they are being detained but we can’t confirm if it was them. There is no solid proof or confession from them yet that they are the ones who are involved in the bombing,” he said.
Noor Rashid added that the PDRM has informed Thai authorities on the matter, and offered to procure physical evidence, witnesses and DNA test samples on their behalf.
On the subject of extraditing the detainees to Thailand, Noor Rashid said Thai police would first need to establish “basic proof” of the suspects’ involvement in the bombing, and go through proper channels.
“The Thai police need to have at least basic proof to request for them (suspects) to be brought back to Thailand.
“There should also be a request that they need to put in which will go have to go through the legal processes. The case is still in its investigative stages.”
The August 17 bombing killed 20 people, among them five members of a Malaysian family.
