The report quoted an official with Thailand’s military intelligence unit as saying that the man who is believed to have links with the Islamic State (IS) militant group, had no intention to remain in Bangkok for any possible attack.
“His final destination was not Thailand but Malaysia. He was to be in Thailand just for transit to Malaysia,” the official told the English-language daily.
On Saturday, 20-year-old Al Muhd Alfie Kqhyriel was arrested at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, after he was found to be carrying four pistols, eight magazines and 71 bullets hidden in his luggage and shoes.
Red flags had been raised in Thailand as a result of the arrest as security officials were alerted to a possible attack planned in the Thai capital.
The Thai military intelligence unit official added that Malaysian security authorities had also alerted their Thai counterparts on the possibility of IS attacks in the region during the Christmas season.
Though Thai officials have played down the arrest of the Malaysian as being a security threat, they remain on full alert for any possible attack, the report said.
“Malaysia did not specifically say where or how a possible attack would occur but mentioned various possibilities, including an attack on some crowded venue or hijack,” the Thai official was quoted as saying by Bangkok Post, adding that the warning did not specify Thailand.
The Malaysian man in question was arrested acting suspiciously as he was asked to remove his shoes to be scanned, Pakistan’s The Express Tribune reported on Saturday.
“The suspect hesitated when we asked him to remove his shoes and place them on the scanning machine. We arrested him and found pistols and ammunition hidden in his shoes’ cavities and microwave oven,” the English-language daily quoted Airport Security Force (ASF) senior official Faisal Yaseen.
Meanwhile, a senior executive with Thai Airways told Bangkok Post that it would be impossible for any one to take a flight at international airports carrying weapons of any sort.
“Given the tight security measures and advanced technology at airports, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to be able to smuggle such a large amount of firearms and bullets through the airport and on to a commercial airliner.
“It would be ridiculous for the suspect to think that he could have carried those firearms and bullets on board.
“My question is why would he take a connecting flight with illicit goods when he would be subject to several checks,” the Thai Airways official was quoted as saying.