"4,380 kilogrammes of urea based fertiliser, 260 litres of ammonium nitrate"
How many hundreds could have been murdered by the Muslim terrorists in Bangkok? Israel tipped off the Thai police.
The National Security Council secretary-general denied links between the recent arrest of members belonging to Hezb'Allah and Thailand's southern Islamic insurgency -- he is, of course, wrong.
Army chief urges public not to panic over Islamic terror threat alert...
Stockpile of explosive materials found Bangkok Post (hat tip RV in Thailand)
Police have found more than 4,300 kilogrammes of urea based fertiliser and other materials used for making explosives in a building in Samut Sakhon's Muang district after the arrest of a middle-east terrorist suspect, national police chief Priewpan Damapong said Monday.
More than 200 police raided a three-storey commercial building in Mahachai area after Atris Hussein, a Lebanese man carrying a Swedish passport who has suspected links to the Hezbollah militant group was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport on Friday evening. He confessed that explosive ingredients were hidden there, Pol Gen Priewpan said.
He said 4,380 kilogrammes of urea based fertiliser, 260 litres of ammonium nitrate and 400 electric fans were found on the second floor of the building. The police also discovered many pairs of slippers, A4 paper and 400 table fans on the ground floor.
The terror suspect told investigators that the terrorist group had not been planning attacks in Thailand. It just wanted to hide the components in Thailand. They were then to be concealed inside table fan boxes and shipped to other countries, according to the suspect, Pol Gen Priewpan said.
He said the suspect had rented the building from Kritsana Promchana on Jan 1, 2010 and the explosive materials had been hidden in the building for quite some time.
An undated Royal Thai Police handout photo made available on Jan 16, 2012 shows alleged Hezbollah member Atris Hussein, a Swedish-Lebanese who was arrested on Jan 13, 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. EPA
"Mr Atris wanted to tell the Thai people that they should not be worried as there will be no terrorist attacks in Thailand, definitely," said the police chief.
Assistant police chief Charamporn Suramanee said the urea based fertiliser and ammonia nitrate will be kept at the military's Quartermaster's Department for further inspection.
Pol Lt Gen Charamporn said possession of these items made a person liable to a five-year prison term and a fine of 50,000 baht.
Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Winai Thongsong said Mr Atris will remain in police custody and the national police chief would decide on issues of extradition and deportation.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra expressed confidence that security authorities can control the situation.
And this from John, SIOT (Stop Islamization of Thailand):
Thailand hunting Hezbollah operatives planning terror attacks against Jews, Israelis Haaretz
The Counter-Terrorism Bureau has issued a warning to Israelis to stay away from Bangkok, and advised those already in the capital to avoid areas commonly frequented by Israelis.
By Barak Ravid
Thailand's intelligence services launched a manhunt Friday for a Hezbollah operative who is part of a terror cell planning attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Bangkok.
The Counter-Terrorism Bureau has issued a warning to Israelis to stay away from the Thai capital, and advised those already in Bangkok to avoid areas commonly frequented by Israelis.
The Beit Chabad near Khao San Road in Bangkok, in October. A hub for Israeli backpackers in Thailand.
Photo by: Beit Chabad
The defense source said the Thai authorities were working hard to thwart the attack, which was expected sometime ahead of February 12 - the anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah operations chief Imad Mughniyeh.
According to Thai sources, despite the arrest of the first suspect, the terror warning is still in force.
The defense source said the incident was still underway.
"A manhunt is still underway after the additional suspects,which means the threat still exists and the travel advisory is still in force," the source said.
The source also called on Israelis who are now in Thailand to comply with the directives and to stay away from Bangkok.
Thai sources said that during his questioning, the detained Hezbollah operative confessed that a terror squad was intending to launch an attack on Israeli targets, including places where Israelis stay.
"The Thai authorities have stationed heavy security at all potential targets," a securing source added.
According to the Thai media, Israel first informed the Thai authorities on December 22 that three Hezbollah operatives had entered the country in order to perpetrate terror attacks. On January 8, Israel received additional information pinpointing this weekend as the time of the attack.
The Americans had also informed the Thai authorities before Christmas that they had received information from Israel about a planned terror attack against Western and American targets in Bangkok.
Three members of the terror cell are Lebanese citizens who also hold Swedish passports, and who visited Thailand a few times in recent months.
The information led the Thai authorities Friday to an apartment near Khao San Road, a popular destination for Israeli backpackers and other visitors to the Thai capital.
Thai security officials raided the apartment but the Hezbollah men had already fled.
They arrested Idris Hussein, 48, a dual Lebanese-Swiss citizen, at Bangkok Airport a few minutes before he was due to board a flight out of the country.
Following Hussein's arrest, nine other countries besides Israel and the United States issued travel advisories against visiting Bangkok.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/thailand-hunting-hezbollah-operatives-planning-terror-attacks-against-jews-israelis-1.407352
