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Bangkok Bomb: Thai police name Adem Karadag as suspect arrested over blast that killed 20

A further 125 were injured in the explosion at the Erawan Shrine

Saturday 29 August 2015 16:31 BST

Thai Police have released this image of Adam Karadag, the suspect they have arrested in relation to the bombing (Thai police handout)

Police in Bangkok have named Adem Karadag as the man who they arrested earlier today as a suspect connected to a bomb which killed 20 people on 17 August.

The 28-year-old was in possession of a Turkish passport, however Thai police said: "The passport you see is fake. We don't know if he is Turkish or not."

He is now being detained at a military facility on initial charges of possessing illegal explosives.

Police chief Somyot Poompanmoung said: "It's unlikely to be terrorism. It's not an international terrorist act."

Thai police released an image of Adem Karadag alongside suspected bomb-making material which they say they found in his flat (Thai police handout)

He said that authorities believe the man's motive was "taking personal revenge for his comrades." He did not elaborate as to who "his comrades" might be or whether they believe his actions to be linked to a wider group.

So far, no groups or individuals have claimed responsibility for the attack.

The blast happened inside the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok's Pathum Wan District and injured 125 people.

Bangkok Bombing

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Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Motorcycles lie on the street at the scene of a bomb attack near Erawan Shrine, central Bangkok, Thailand, 17 August 2015. An explosion in a busy commercial district in the Thai capital killed a yet unconfirmed number of people. Witnesses said the explosion happened around 7:15 pm (1215 GMT) at the Rajprasong Intersection, a business area famous among tourists and locals for a revered Hindu shrine.

EPA

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

A general view taken from a moving train shows bodies covered in white sheets around the Erawan Shrine, central Bangkok, Thailand, 17 August 2015. An explosion in a busy commercial district in the Thai capital killed a yet unconfirmed number of people. Witnesses said the explosion happened around 7:15 pm (1215 GMT) at the Rajprasong Intersection, a business area famous among tourists and locals for a revered Hindu shrine.

EPA

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Officials close off an intersection after an explosion in Bangkok, Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. A large explosion rocked a central Bangkok intersection during the evening rush hour, killing a number of people and injuring others, police said.

AP

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

A rescue workers near the scene of an explosion on August 17, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. A large explosion believed to be from a bomb has happened in central Bangkok this evening with early reports suggesting 12 people have died and at least 20 more have been injured

Getty

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Motorcycles are strewn about after an explosion in Bangkok, Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. A large explosion rocked a central Bangkok intersection during the evening rush hour, killing a number of people and injuring others, police said

AP

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

A Thai soldier (R) looks at the damage after a bomb exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok late on August 17, 2015 killing at least 10 people and wounding scores more. Body parts were scattered across the street after the explosion outside the Erawan Shrine in the downtown Chidlom district of the Thai capital.

AFP/Getty

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

A Thai soldier ropes off the scene after a bomb exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok late on August 17, 2015 killing at least 10 people and wounding scores more. Body parts were scattered across the street after the explosion outside the Erawan Shrine in the downtown Chidlom district of the Thai capital.

AFP/Getty

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Thai rescue workers carry an injured person after a bomb exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok late on August 17, 2015 killing at least 10 people and wounding scores more. Body parts were scattered across the street after the explosion outside the Erawan Shrine in the downtown Chidlom district of the Thai capital.

AFP/Getty

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Police chief Somyot Poompanmoung is interviewed by the press on August 17, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. A large explosion believed to be from a bomb has happened in central Bangkok on the evening of Tuesday 17th of August, 2015. Early reports suggest 12 people have died and at least 20 more injured.

Getty Images

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers enter the Erawan Shrine after an explosion in Bangkok, Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. A large explosion rocked a central Bangkok intersection during the evening rush hour, killing a number of people and injuring others, police said.

AP

Thai police say that the arrest took place today after they raided an apartment which they believe was being used by the suspect in northern Bangkok. They say that they discovered suspected bomb-making materials inside the property.

Thai police remove evidence from the apartment (Reuters)

The police chief told reporters: "The bomb materials are the same, similar, or the same type" as those used in the bombings at the shrine.

Police had previously said they were looking for a man who appeared on CCTV footage of the incident as part of their investigation.

Thai army soldiers guard the scene in Bangkok (Reuters)

Footage (see below) appeared to show a man in shorts and a yellow T-shirt removing a backpack and placing it underneath a bench inside the shrine, before leaving the area. The bomb reportedly then exploded in the place where the backpack had been left.

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