Phuket Airport: suspicious explosive item defused

A suspicious object was discovered on an unattended motorcycle at Phuket International Airport, Thailand. Officials from the police’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit and the K-9 dog team conducted a thorough search of the motorcycle, which revealed an object resembling an improvised explosive device (IED) hidden inside the motorcycle. After cordoning off and securing the area, the EOD team performed a controlled detonation of the explosive device. Police investigators are currently examining whether the object is connected to a recent incident in the neighbouring province of Phang Nga, where two men were apprehended with a homemade time bomb while travelling to Phuket. In light of the incident, security measures have been heightened across the region as a precautionary measure, officials have confirmed.