DSI finds super-car reassembly units sorely lacking
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In its initial inspection, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) learned that the facilities where super cars were allegedly assembled were no more than mere godowns.
During the inspection, DSI officials also found five luxury cars as well as more than 24,000 bottles of alcohol believed to have been smuggled in.
“We have been successful in our search,” DSI chief Tarit Pengdith said yesterday.
Vehicles that have been reassembled in Thailand are subject to lower taxes and relevant authorities believe that tax evasion on this front has cost the country more than Bt20-billion in lost revenue.
Officials yesterday inspected operations at JMW Co Ltd, TNN Express Co Ltd, Porjai Auto Class and the home of Dhamma Motor Rich Co Ltd’s owner. These companies had declared themselves as reassembling operations, but inspection showed that they clearly had no capacity to handle such a complicated task.
“Their place looks more like a small warehouse. They are by no means able to reassemble fast cars or super cars like the Lamborghini,” Tarit said.
The owners of Porjai Auto Class and Dhamma Motor Rich were also interrogated yesterday.
Tarit also held a meeting with representatives from the Customs Department, the Excise Department, the Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS), the Land Transport Department and the Thailand Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) to discuss the legal proceedings that can be taken against the wrongdoers.
The Land Transport Department said that since October 2010, 6,862 vehicles had been registered as reassembled in Thailand and more than 3,000 other vehicles were waiting for a similar stamp. This means that the number of cars for which tax has not been paid might be well over 10,000 – higher than the initial estimate. Tarit expects to receive an exact figure by Monday.
“Initially, we will focus on vehicles with a market value of more than Bt4 million,” he said, adding that the car owners will then be summoned for questioning and their vehicles checked to determine if they were really reassembled locally. CIFS and TISI will also join the vehicle check.
“If the owners are found to have been involved in the tax-evading scheme, they will face legal action,” Tarit said, adding that any officials found involved would also be punished.
“Entrepreneurs and engineers who are found to have provided false documents will also be prosecuted,” he said.
Customs Department’s deputy director general Rakop Srisupa-at said customs officials and police detected an average of 200 to 300 smuggled vehicles yearly. “We are not able to check each and every container,” he said.
