'Bribes sent to customs staff' for illegal cars

The source said the evidence was sent with a report to an Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission sub-panel chaired by Pakdee Phosiri. The House Committee on Transport would gather facts from Nakhon Ratchasima’s Khlang Dong Police on June 10 as well as follow up on a probe by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). 

The source also said that independent car importers bring in about 8,000 cars – imported in parts for re-assembly – a year, while about 200-300 cars were imported by students overseas. Another 10,000 cars were imported by “grey market” operators. They reportedly negotiate and pay “tea money” – hundreds of thousands or millions of baht to officials and politicians.

Meanwhile, the DSI will search for cars whose owners have avoided tax in Bangkok and nearby areas. This probe stems from a fire which burnt out luxury cars in Nakhon Ratchasima a week or so ago. Khlang Don Police are due to submit reports on five burnt cars to the DSI tomorrow.

DSI chief Tarit Pengdith said that after his request for Customs to step up their surveillance and intercept luxury cars and owners who want to flee to other countries, there was no movement by car owners yet. DSI chief investigator Pol Lt Col Kornwat Panprapakorn said the June 6 search for cars whose owners had evaded tax at four locations in Bangkok was ongoing. They would gather all evidence in two weeks.

The case stems from a mysterious fire that destroyed or damaged six high-end cars being transported through Nakhon Ratchasima to Si Sa Ket for registration.

A source at DSI revealed that the cause of the fire may be arson, due to a conflict by importers, as competition in the “grey market” was intense.