BANGKOK: Two Iranian men were sentenced to between 15 years and life Thursday for their parts in a botched bomb plot last year in Bangkok that ended with one of them having his legs blown off.
The pair, who had denied the charges, were among five Iranians suspected of involvement in blasts that Israel has linked to a 2012 spate of attacks on its diplomats across the world.
Saeid Moradi, 29, who lost his limbs as he hurled an explosive device at police in the Thai capital, was found guilty on charges including attempted murder and handed a life term by the Bangkok Southern Criminal court.
A judge said the court found him “guilty of carrying explosives in public, using explosives to attempt to kill officials and using explosives which caused the destruction of property.”
“Because attempted murder displays serious intent the court sentenced him to life in prison,” he added.
A second defendant, Mohammad Khazaei, 43, was given a 15-year jail term for possession of explosives.
The blasts on Feb. 14 last year occurred a day after bombs attacks on Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia.
A huge explosion tore the roof off a house in suburban Bangkok when bombs detonated inside, apparently accidentally.
Moradi tried to “escape by carrying two bombs with him... throwing the first to stop people following... throwing the second when police tried to stop and arrest him,” the judge said as he sentenced the pair Thursday, adding that an expert witness said five C-4 explosives had been hidden in radios in the house.
Prosecutors said Moradi hurled one of the bombs at a taxi, then threw the second at two police officers as they approached him on the street, but it instead detonated near him.
The court heard that Khazaei ran out of the house after the first explosion and headed to the airport where police arrested him at the boarding gate.
A third man is thought to have fled to Malaysia, where he is in custody and fighting extradition to Thailand. Two other suspects are believed to have returned to Iran.
Israel has accused Tehran of waging a terror campaign over the Bangkok bomb plot.
“This sentence proves once again that Iran is engaged and in proliferation of terror all around the world,” Israeli ambassador Simon Roded told reporters after attending the court hearing.
He thanked the Thai government for its response to the blasts.
“I hope that other countries will join Thailand in fighting this terror and bringing terrorists to justice,” said the diplomat, who was flanked by bodyguards as he watched proceedings.
Moradi, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, had argued in his defense that he accidentally found bombs in the Bangkok property and was trying to dispose of them safely when they detonated.
The court also found him guilty of possession of explosives.
The pair, who arrived at court in prison clothes, were additionally handed financial penalties over the incident, including two million baht ($62,000) compensation payment for the damage to the Bangkok house.
They appeared subdued as they heard the sentencing.
Defense lawyer Kittipong Kiattanapoom said his clients had not yet indicated whether they would appeal.
“They will initially serve their sentences in Thailand, but Thailand and Iran have a prisoner exchange treaty so they could seek to serve their remaining terms in their homeland after a period of time,” he said.
Last year Israel said it was facing a wave of Iran-sponsored terror around the world.
On February 13, 2012, an assailant on a motorbike attached a magnetic bomb to an Israeli embassy car near the Indian prime minister’s residence in New Delhi.
A female Israeli diplomat, who was also the wife of the defense attache at the embassy, was badly wounded in the explosion. Her driver and two passengers were also hurt.
On the same day police defused an explosive fixed to another embassy vehicle in the Georgian capital Tbilisi.
Thai court jails Iran pair over botched Bangkok bomb plot
Thai court jails Iran pair over botched Bangkok bomb plot
India’s wealthy embrace a new luxury symbol: water
- Tap water in India is not fit for human consumption
- Wealthy opt for premium water as wellness craze boosts industry
NEW DELHI: At an Indian gourmet food store, Avanti Mehta is organizing a blind tasting of drinks sourced from France, Italy and India. No, this isn’t wine, it’s water.
Participants use tiny shot glasses to check the minerality, carbonation and salinity in samples of Evian from the French Alps, Perrier from southern France, San Pellegrino from Italy and India’s Aava from the foothills of the Aravalli mountains.
“They will all taste different ... you should be choosing a water that can give you some sort of nutritional value,” said Mehta, who is 32 and calls herself India’s youngest water sommelier, a term usually associated with premium wine. Her family owns the Aava mineral water brand. Premium water is a $400 million business in the world’s most populous nation and is growing bigger as its wealthy see it as a new status symbol that fits in with a spreading wellness craze.
Premium Indian mineral water costs around $1 for a one-liter bottle, while imported brands are upwards of $3, or 15 times the price of the country’s lowest-priced basic bottled water.
Clean water is a privilege in the country of 1.4 billion people where researchers say 70 percent of the groundwater is contaminated. Tap water remains unfit to drink, and 16 people died in Indore city after consuming contaminated tap water in December.
Many in India see bottled water as a necessity and standard 20 US-cent bottles are available widely at convenience stores, restaurants and hotels. The market is worth nearly $5 billion annually and is set to grow 24 percent a year — among the fastest in the world.
Bottled water demand in United States or China is driven by convenience, making it a $30 billion-plus market in each country which will grow just 4-5 percent each year, Euromonitor says.
In India, the premium water segment is leading the surge in demand, accounting for 8 percent of the bottled water market last year compared to just 1 percent in 2021, Euromonitor said.
“Distrust of municipal water in some areas has escalated the demand for bottled water. Now, people understand how mineral water has more health benefits. It’s expensive, but the category will boom,” said Amulya Pandit, a senior consultant at Euromonitor specializing in the drinks market.
Among its consumers are New Delhi-based real estate developer B.S. Batra, who says his family uses only premium water at home to get more minerals and safeguard health.
“You feel different, more energetic during the day,” said Batra, 49, an avid badminton player.
“I consume mineral water even with whisky at home, and kids use it for their smoothies.”
Water lures Bollywood star, wealthy
The popular 20-cent plastic bottled water is mainly made by Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Indian market leader Bisleri. In addition, Indians who can afford it, install purifiers in their homes which clean the water but also remove most minerals.
Imported and local premium waters are luring wealthy consumers and businesses alike.
Bollywood star Bhumi Pednekar and her sister have launched Backbay — selling 750 ml cartons of mineral water for $2.2; Indian conglomerate Tata is expanding its premium water portfolio, and retailers and businesses are reporting higher sales.
Tata Consumer Products, also Starbucks’ partner in India, sells 20-cent bottled water, but premium water is its priority as it sees affluent, health-focused consumers willing to spend on the drink without worrying about the price, CEO Sunil D’Souza said in an interview.
“I don’t have to push water uphill...I see a long, long, long runway for the business,” he said.
Tata’s premium “Himalayan” mineral water factory — which a Reuters photographer visited — is located in the foothills of the Himalayan range in Himachal Pradesh state. Workers there largely keep a hands-free watch on machines filling plastic and glass bottles with water sourced from a natural underground aquifer.
Looking for springs
Most Indians prefer still water, and the sparkling variant remains niche. Tata said it plans to launch a sparkling Himalayan water, and is also scouting for natural springs for expanding its other offerings. At three Foodstories Indian gourmet stores, sales of premium waters tripled in 2025. Customer demand prompted the chain to import “light and creamy” Saratoga Spring Water from New York, which costs 799 rupees ($9) for a 355-milliliter (12-fluid-ounce) bottle, and stocks sold out within days, said co-founder Avni Biyani.
Indian mineral water brand Aava’s sales touched a record 805 million rupees ($9 million) last year, growing 40 percent a year since 2021. Tata said its basic and premium water portfolio will grow 30 percent a year, after growing tenfold to $65 million in six years.
Imported waters, which attract an over 30 percent tax, are pricier than Indian brands. Nestle’s Perrier and San Pellegrino, and Danone’s Evian retail for over 300 rupees, or $3.20, for a 750 ml bottle.
Nestle declined to comment, while Danone said the Indian bottled water market was growing at a “robust” pace but imported waters “tend to be niche and boutique.”
“When you open your tap, you’re not getting an Aava, Evian ... And that is what you’re essentially paying for,” said water sommelier Mehta.
At the water tasting session, some participants said they enjoyed the experience but many found the price hard to swallow.
“To be honest, it is kind of expensive,” said executive Hoshini Vallabhaneni, one of 14 people at the event. “For everyday use — it will burn a hole in the pocket.”
