BANGKOK, Jan 17 – Lebanese-Swedish terror suspect Atris Hussein was to be questioned further by police Tuesday before being transferred to Bangkok Criminal Court for further detention.
According to the Border Patrol Police Bureau, Mr Hussein entered the Thai capital several times during Jan 10-12 and conversed with several persons, both Thais and foreigners.
Police from the Crime Suppression Division will participate in investigating the suspect, Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Pansiri Prapawat said.
Mr Hussein was charged Monday afternoon with possessing agricultural fertilisers, chemicals which were linked to a terror plot after the substances, which can be used to compound explosives, were discovered in a building in suburban Samut Sakhon, adjacent to the capital.
Despite the fact that a large amount of urea fertiliser and ammonium nitrate solution was found, the suspect said the building was used only to store the chemicals, but not to produce explosives. Pol Gen Pansiri said fingerprints on the seized items will be ready within two days.
Meanwhile, no hidden traces were found after being thoroughly examined at 400 fans, which were among the items seized at the building. Police said there were believed to be more than one suspect involved and who might have planned to ship the fans abroad with the ammonium nitrate solution.
According to Mr Hussein, there was no terror plot planned for Thailand but the country was being used as a transit site to distribute materials for making bombs overseas.
However, the location was not disclosed by the Thai authorities.
Mr Hussein was detained for questioning Friday at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport under Thai immigration law with suspected links to Hezbollah, a militant political party in Lebanon which holds 11 of 30 cabinet seats in the Lebanese government and which is considered as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, Britain, Canada and several other countries.
He was leaving Thailand the same day as the US embassy in Bangkok issued a terrorist threat warning for the capital.
