Bangkok , Thailand ( CNN ) -- Thai police said Tuesday that they would seek court permission to extend the detention of a Lebanese man they have charged with illegal possession of explosive materials . The move comes amid tension after the United States and Israel warned their citizens in Bangkok on Friday of the possibility of an imminent terrorist attack . The police charged the man , Atris Hussein , on Monday after finding `` initial chemical materials that could produce bombs '' in an area just outside Bangkok . The police said Hussein , who also holds a Swedish passport , led them to the location . The authorities are accusing Hussein of trying to attack spots in Bangkok that are popular with Western tourists and say he is believed to belong to Hezbollah , the Shiite Muslim group active in Lebanon that the United States views as a terrorist organization . Hussein will be brought to the criminal court Tuesday , so that the police can request authorization to continue to hold him as they pursue their investigation , said Piya Uthayo , a police spokesman . The charges of illegally possessing explosives carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison . Thai authorities said Sunday they were still looking for another suspect of Middle Eastern origin in the case , providing a sketch of his face . The materials found Monday in Samutsakorn , southwest of Bangkok , included 400 boxes of fertilizers weighing a total of more than 4,000 kilograms and 1,500 liters of liquid ammonia nitrate , together with 400 electric fans , according to CNN affiliate MCOT . They were found in a shop house , a type of store common in Southeast Asia that gives onto the sidewalk and also serves as the owner 's residence . Based on comments from Hussein , the authorities believe that `` Thailand is only a transit point to send these initial explosive materials to other regional countries , '' said Police General Priewpan Damapong . A U.S. Embassy statement on Friday spoke of `` foreign terrorists '' who may be planning attacks `` in the near future . '' It urged U.S. citizens to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok . Israel issued a similar alert later Friday . Thailand is a highly popular tourist destination , and Bangkok serves as a major transport hub for the Southeast Asian region . The country has undergone periods of unrest in recent years . It experienced a spate of political violence during anti-government demonstrations in 2010 . And Muslim separatists in southern Thailand have long battled government forces in a country that is overwhelmingly Buddhist , with a number of bombings taking place last year .
Thai police have charged a Lebanese man with illegally possessing explosives . They will ask a court to extend the period of his detention for further investigation . Comment: Thai authorities are accusing the suspect of plotting attacks .