Royal Thai Police are “monitoring the movement of Iranian nationals and some Thai Muslims who are suspected to be working as spies in Thailand.”
by Pesach Benson, United with Israel
Security forces in Thailand are on high alert for Iranian spies following Israeli warnings and the arrest of an Iranian agent in Indonesia, the Bangkok Post reported on Monday.
Jerusalem has warned of Iranian revenge attacks over the assassination of a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officer in Tehran earlier in May.
According to the Post, the Royal Thai Police are “monitoring the movement of Iranian nationals and some Thai Muslims who are suspected to be working as spies in Thailand.”
The Post did not specify any specific or immediate threats.
The orders to Thai police cited last year’s arrest of Ghassem Saberi Gilchalan in Indonesia.
Gilchalan, an Iranian agent, was caught carrying a fake Bulgarian passport, an Iranian passport, a card purportedly identifying him as a former Malaysian police officer, cash in 16 different currencies, 11 cellular phones, and numerous Persian-language documents, among other suspicioius items. He is currently serving a two-year prison term.
Gilchalan told Indonesian interrogators he was ordered to lobby Jakarta to release an Iranian-flagged oil tanker seized by Indonesia and to set up a safe house in Bali by creating a front company. A check of his phones found he was in contact with Shiite Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia who are thought to be close to Iran .
He also confirmed meeting with other Iran-aligned Muslims in Thailand on previous trips, the Post reported.
IRGC Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei was shot to death by unknown assailants on motorbikes who ambushed him outside of his home in central Tehran.
Reports indicated that Khodaei was the deputy commander of the IRGC’s Unit 840, which is said to be responsible for abductions and assassinations around the world. In recent years, Iranian plots against Israelis have been thwarted in Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Kenya and Columbia.
Other sources told the New York Times that Khodaei was a key figure in providing Hezbollah and Iranian proxies in Syria with advanced drone technology and tactical advice.
Israel has already issued travel warnings urging nationals traveling to Turkey, the Gulf states and countries bordering Iran to be cautious about the information they share with strangers, including disclosing that they are Israeli nationals.
The IDF has also bolstered its aerial defenses in anticipation of a missile or drone attack.