The Metropolitan Police Bureau has released a list of the 60 most wanted car and motorcycle thieves with cash rewards of 1.4 million baht offered to people who come forward with information leading to their arrest.

Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Charnthep Sesavej signed a memorandum of cooperation Wednesday with the Thai General Insurance Association (TGIA) to launch a project to hunt down thieves wanted on arrest warrants for stealing cars and motorcycles.

The TGIA has supported the project by offering cash rewards of 1.4 million baht leading to the arrests.

Charnthep said the project is aimed at preventing crimes relating to car and motorcycle thefts and encouraging the public to support police efforts to prevent and tackle car theft-related crimes. He said some 600 people are wanted on arrest warrants in car and motorcycle theft cases, but the project will specifically target 60 of those who are involved in notorious, high-profile cases.

Wasit Lamsam, chairman of TGIA's motor insurance committee, said about 2,000 cars and motorcycles are stolen each year.

Bureau deputy commissioner Phanurat Lakbun said the 60 most wanted thieves are divided into three groups.

The first group is made up of 10 people involved in organised crime groups with a 50,000-baht bounty for each.

The second comprises 20 people involved in cases which carry stiff penalties with a 30,000-baht bounty for each.

The third consists of 30 people who repeatedly committed offences with rewards of 15,000 baht for the arrest of each.