The Metropolitan Police Bureau on Wednesday released photographs of two men suspected of setting fire to the CentralWorld department store on May 19, 2010, and have obtained pictures of six others they believe were involved in the destruction that day.
The pictures were shown to the press by Kamronwit Thoopkrachang, the metropolitan police chief, after a meeting with his deputy Pol Maj Gen Anuchai Lekbamrung and the team of police investigators.
Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit said the team of investigators, only set up on April 10, had made "much progress" by picking out photos of two men from a variety of video and still pictures of people taken on the day that CentralWorld was torched.
Police said one of the photos shows a man breaking a glass door, while another captured the image of a man who also was at the scene. The pictures match descriptions of men for whom the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) obtained Criminal Court arrest warrants on Aug 18, 2010.
These photos show two men suspected to have set fire to the CentralWorld department store on May 19, 2010.(Photos suppled by Metropolitan Police Bureau)
The warrants do not name the suspects. Police said on Wednesday they were working from descriptions until the photos came into their possession within the last six weeks.
Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit said whoever has information on the two chief suspects from the photos should call the Metropolitan Police investigation centre at 02-354-8226. A reward will be paid for information that leads to and arrest, he said.
As for the other six men in the photo collection, he urged them to report to police for questioning as suspects in the 2010 arson.
If they fail to report and more evidence is found later, the DSI would be asked to seek an arrest warrant.
The metropolitan police chief said about 20 other people were also believed to be involved and the investigators were in the process of gathering evidence to summon them for questioning.