THAI COPS PUT CRIMINALS' MUGSHOTS ON THE NET

BANGKOK: Thai police have started publishing mugshots and criminal
records of suspected gunmen and drug traffickers on the Internet in a
bid to get public help to arrest them, police said on Monday.

Police webmaster Nathathorn Prousunthorn said the police hoped the
public would tip them off if they saw the faces of wanted criminals.

"Information on criminals was previously known only to a small group
of people,'' said Nathathorn.

"Now the data is on the Internet, not only the public, but also police
officers from different units know who to arrest.''

Mugshots and the records of about 20 suspects have been put on the
website (http://www.specialcrime.police.go.th).

He said the United Nations' Drug Control Programme would support the
project financially after Thai police officers spent thousands of
dollars of their own money setting up the website.