Mall threat suspect’s ‘phone was hacked’

A 22-year-old Myanmar national has denied posting a threat of a mass shooting at a popular mall in Khon Kaen, and investigators now believe his phone was hacked by someone else.
Authorities had responded to alarming social media posts attributed to Sai Sun Paur, which included a photo of a handgun and a threatening message claiming he would target shoppers at Khon Kaen Central Plaza in Muang district of the northeastern province.
One of the posts from his Facebook account reads: “You don’t know what I’ve been through since my arrival in Thailand. In the past six months, I have experienced only pain and torture. Now that I’ve saved some money, who will be lucky enough to get a headshot at the Khon Kaen mall. I’m heading there now.”
On Thursday, the posts sparked panic in the northeastern province, prompting about 200 police officers to secure the area and evacuate customers from the mall. No shooting occurred, and the plaza reopened the next day with a continued police presence for safety.
Following an investigation via the man’s Facebook account, police located the suspect at a workers’ camp in Pathum Thani on Friday evening. 
During questioning, the Myanmar national claimed he did not make the posts as he cannot read or write Thai, though he can speak the language.
Further investigation revealed that his mobile data had been hacked by unidentified persons in Poipet, Cambodia.
Authorities are still verifying the details, as Paur is also facing legal action for illegally entering Thailand.
Last week in Nakhon Ratchasima, a 31-year-old woman was arrested after posting several messages on Facebook pretending to be a young man planning a shooting rampage at three shopping centres. She told police that she was stressed out, jobless and had relationship issues.
In October last year, police arrested a 14-year-old boy who went on a shooting rampage inside Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok, killing three people and injuring several others.
In 2020, a former army officer went on a rampage in a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, murdering 29 people and wounding scores more.