Pokemon characters used instead of suspect photos

A police officer explains a chart showing a network of drug suspects, with Pikachu (top right) and Charmander (bottom left) representing suspects on the run. Pikachu represents the drug suspect "Max" of Talat Mahanak, while Charmander is in fact a foreign suspect, identified only as Mike. (Photo by Thanarak Khunton)

Can't parade or show the faces of suspects at crime news briefings? Not to worry. The resourceful Thai police have a solution, and it's not a John Doe as one would expect.

Pokemon Go characters were used by Bangkok police in place of the photos of suspects who remain at large during a media briefing on Saturday following Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s directive.

During the briefing at the Metropolitan Police Division 1 on Saturday, images of Pikachu, the main and rare character in the location-based augmented reality game Pokemon Go, and Charmander, another character, were used on a police chart to show a network of drug suspects. The two cartoon characters represented suspects who are on the run.

Other suspects who were arrested had their faces blurred. Items seized from the suspects were shown.

The police’s move came after Gen Prayut banned the parading of suspects at police briefings in line with international guidelines on human rights.

The order was made when the Secretariat of the Prime Minister gave Gen Prayut a summary of Thailand's human rights situation, which is updated weekly by the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, deputy permanent secretary for justice Tawatchai Thaikiew said last week.

National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda said the police would have no problem in adjusting their news conferences. He believed that in key cases, such as rape or murder, suspects should be present to alert the public.

At Saturday's briefing, Pol Maj Gen Sompong Chingduang, acting chief of the MPB, announced the arrests of 173 suspects in several criminal cases during crackdown operations in Bangkok between Sept 5 and 10. The suspects were wanted for theft, gambling, the flesh trade, illegal entry and other offences.