The Criminal Court has approved arrest warrants for five men who were involved in torching a Bangkok Bank branch on May 19.
Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Maj General Sumeth Ruangsawas yesterday said police had yet to identify these suspects by name.
"But we have their photos," he said.
According to him, police are now trying to track down these arsonists. They are charged with arson and intrusion into the property of others during the night.
In a related development, police investigators are reportedly now preparing to press additional charge against three detained suspects.
These suspects were among nine people arrested while stealing stuff from the Central World on May 19.
However, an informed source said that after the investigators pored over the video recordings of Central World security camera, they found that these three suspects were involved in setting fire on this upscale shopping complex too.
The Central World has suffered serious damages from the arson attacks, which forced it to shut down. A part of the Central World will also need to be dismantled.
On the CNN pictures showing a man carrying an M16 assault rifle, Sumeth yesterday said the man - who donned soldierlike camouflage - was not a soldier.
"He is Sornchai or Yak Lek Sridee," the senior police officer said.
According to Sumeth, police have requested that CNN supply information on which date and where exactly the picture was taken.
"But we were told by CNN staff here that they must seek permission from its headquarters first," Sumeth said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) disclosed that a taskforce, headed by the DSI deputy director general Narat Sawettanan, had just confiscated many war weapons from hardcore red shirts in Pattaya.
Among the confiscated items were M79 grenade launchers and M16 assault rifles.
"We are now trying to nail down the owners of these weapons too," DSI director general Tharit Pengdit said.
Currently, the government has decided to keep the State of Emergency Decree in place in many provinces including Bangkok and Chon Buri with the purposes of maintaining peace.
After the redshirt rally in Bangkok ended on May 19 in the face of military surge, riots in the form of arson attacks, bombing incidents and looting erupted in many areas.
In several northeastern provinces, the provincial halls were burnt down.
Prapai Ngarmsan, a finance official at the Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Hall, yesterday expressed relief that the fire did not damage the content inside the safety box.
She refused to elaborate on what were inside the box, which was blended into the wall.
So far, an informed source disclosed that the box contained Bt21million in banknotes and coins, and ivory.
Speaking to a group of businessmen at the Government House, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday insisted that the State of Emergency Decree had to remain in effect.
The businessmen later quoted Abhisit as speaking that there were some underground activities going on in various areas.
Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat said his ministry had still regularly updated the security agencies about the situation in target provinces.
"The situation remains highly volatile in some areas," he said.
He also admitted that some underground operations had been detected. "But it's not worrying," Boonjong assured.
He added that the authorities would deploy officials to help people affected by the recent political violence.
"We are reaching out to all people. We will not single out demonstrators," Boonjong said.
Since the redshirt rally started in Bangkok in midMarch, 99 victims were killed and nearly 2,000 others were injured.
According to the Mirror Foundation, 44 people went missing during the recent political turmoil.
"We are going to compile further information and submit it to the National Human Rights Commission as well as to Kanit na Nakorn, the head of an independent investigation panel," the foundation's senior official Ekalak Lhumchonkhae said.