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| Pinched my ride: supercars stolen by the dozen from UK turn up in Thailand | Pinched my ride: supercars stolen by the dozen from UK turn up in Thailand |
| (7 months later) | |
| Lamborghinis, Porsches and BMWs among automotive exotica spirited from streets of Britain to Bangkok via elaborate criminal scams | |
| Agence France-Presse in Bangkok | |
| Thu 22 Jun 2017 05.12 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 21.26 GMT | |
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| Dozens of supercars including Lamborghinis, Porsches and BMWs have been stolen from the streets of Britain and shipped to Thailand in a complex scam that police from both countries are rushing to dismantle. | Dozens of supercars including Lamborghinis, Porsches and BMWs have been stolen from the streets of Britain and shipped to Thailand in a complex scam that police from both countries are rushing to dismantle. |
| After a British request to retrieve the vehicles, detectives in Bangkok have launched a series of raids against dealers in recent weeks. | After a British request to retrieve the vehicles, detectives in Bangkok have launched a series of raids against dealers in recent weeks. |
| More than 120 top-of-the-range sports cars have since been seized, including some identified as stolen from Britain. | More than 120 top-of-the-range sports cars have since been seized, including some identified as stolen from Britain. |
| Thai investigators say they have also uncovered an array of scams and loopholes that dealers and corrupt customs officials exploit to circumvent eye-watering taxes the south-east Asian kingdom places on supercars – usually around 328%. | Thai investigators say they have also uncovered an array of scams and loopholes that dealers and corrupt customs officials exploit to circumvent eye-watering taxes the south-east Asian kingdom places on supercars – usually around 328%. |
| “More than 1,000 supercars are implicated in the undervaluing scam,” Lieutenant Colonel Korawat Panprapakorn, the officer leading the investigation, told AFP. “This practice has been going on for a long time.” | “More than 1,000 supercars are implicated in the undervaluing scam,” Lieutenant Colonel Korawat Panprapakorn, the officer leading the investigation, told AFP. “This practice has been going on for a long time.” |
| Britain is the most popular source for luxury car imports to Thailand because both countries drive on the left hand side of the road. | Britain is the most popular source for luxury car imports to Thailand because both countries drive on the left hand side of the road. |
| While Thailand’s economy has been slumping in recent years, its billionaire class is doing just fine and gleaming supercars remain a common sight on the streets of Bangkok – even if they spend much of their time crawling along the city’s gridlocked streets. | While Thailand’s economy has been slumping in recent years, its billionaire class is doing just fine and gleaming supercars remain a common sight on the streets of Bangkok – even if they spend much of their time crawling along the city’s gridlocked streets. |
| Lamborghinis appear to have been a top choice, making up 32 of the 122 seized vehicles, according to Thailand’s Department for Special Investigations (DSI). | Lamborghinis appear to have been a top choice, making up 32 of the 122 seized vehicles, according to Thailand’s Department for Special Investigations (DSI). |
| The tax evasion scams ranged from impressively creative to bizarrely simple. | The tax evasion scams ranged from impressively creative to bizarrely simple. |
| At least two vehicles were allegedly shipped over from the UK in parts and then assembled in Thailand to avoid the triple tax rate. | At least two vehicles were allegedly shipped over from the UK in parts and then assembled in Thailand to avoid the triple tax rate. |
| Eight Lamborghinis were simply declared as being the cheaper Gallardo model when they were in fact the much more expensive Aventador. | Eight Lamborghinis were simply declared as being the cheaper Gallardo model when they were in fact the much more expensive Aventador. |
| Customs officers either did not notice or deliberately turned a blind eye to the easy-to-spot error. | Customs officers either did not notice or deliberately turned a blind eye to the easy-to-spot error. |
| But in the vast majority of cases dealers under-declared the true value of the cars, often by tens of thousands of dollars, to pay less tax, the DSI said, adding some 30 businesses were being investigated. | But in the vast majority of cases dealers under-declared the true value of the cars, often by tens of thousands of dollars, to pay less tax, the DSI said, adding some 30 businesses were being investigated. |
| The outright stolen vehicles were whisked abroad through a different scam. | The outright stolen vehicles were whisked abroad through a different scam. |
| Sources with knowledge of the investigation in Britain say most of the cars were bought on finance and shipped to Thailand. | Sources with knowledge of the investigation in Britain say most of the cars were bought on finance and shipped to Thailand. |
| When the vehicles were at sea, the owners reported them stolen and stopped paying the monthly repayments. | When the vehicles were at sea, the owners reported them stolen and stopped paying the monthly repayments. |
| Britain’s National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service confirmed it was working with Thai police to track the vehicles. | Britain’s National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service confirmed it was working with Thai police to track the vehicles. |
| “To date 38 [stolen] UK vehicles, identified by their engine and chassis numbers and valued at over £2.3 million have been imported into Thailand,” the agency told AFP. | “To date 38 [stolen] UK vehicles, identified by their engine and chassis numbers and valued at over £2.3 million have been imported into Thailand,” the agency told AFP. |
| “Seven of the 38 vehicles identified were seized by the DSI from a used car dealership in Bangkok.” | “Seven of the 38 vehicles identified were seized by the DSI from a used car dealership in Bangkok.” |
| Those seven were found during a police raid on STT Auto in Bangkok’s Ekkamai district, a suburb known for its glitzy nightclubs, restaurants and luxury apartment complexes. | Those seven were found during a police raid on STT Auto in Bangkok’s Ekkamai district, a suburb known for its glitzy nightclubs, restaurants and luxury apartment complexes. |
| The dealership’s owner Indharasak Techaterasiri – who goes by the nickname “Boy Unity” and is well known on the luxury car circuit – told AFP he was baffled that the seven cars were reported stolen. | The dealership’s owner Indharasak Techaterasiri – who goes by the nickname “Boy Unity” and is well known on the luxury car circuit – told AFP he was baffled that the seven cars were reported stolen. |
| He said he imports 500-600 luxury vehicles a year from Britain and that his shipping agent always checks the UK’s vehicle registry databases to ensure the cars are not stolen. | He said he imports 500-600 luxury vehicles a year from Britain and that his shipping agent always checks the UK’s vehicle registry databases to ensure the cars are not stolen. |
| None of the seven – two Lamborghinis, two BMW M4s, two Porsche Boxsters and a Nissan GTR – came up as stolen, which would make sense if they were only reported after they left port. | None of the seven – two Lamborghinis, two BMW M4s, two Porsche Boxsters and a Nissan GTR – came up as stolen, which would make sense if they were only reported after they left port. |
| “They keep saying on the news that all these cars are stolen, that I am a criminal … it isn’t fair for me,” he told AFP, adding he rejected any allegation of impropriety and was happy to be interviewed by British police. | “They keep saying on the news that all these cars are stolen, that I am a criminal … it isn’t fair for me,” he told AFP, adding he rejected any allegation of impropriety and was happy to be interviewed by British police. |
| Thai police have also accused Boy of under-declaring the value of multiple cars, but he said the valuation came from customs so the fault lay with them. | Thai police have also accused Boy of under-declaring the value of multiple cars, but he said the valuation came from customs so the fault lay with them. |
| Last week he filed a suit to sue the DSI after they shuttered his showroom, allegedly without a warrant. | Last week he filed a suit to sue the DSI after they shuttered his showroom, allegedly without a warrant. |
| After he left court, officers from a separate arm of the Thai police promptly arrested him on fraud charges related to complaints from wealthy customers that their cars may now be illegal. | After he left court, officers from a separate arm of the Thai police promptly arrested him on fraud charges related to complaints from wealthy customers that their cars may now be illegal. |
| While some of the stolen British supercars have been located, it is unlikely they will return to the UK any time soon. | While some of the stolen British supercars have been located, it is unlikely they will return to the UK any time soon. |
| Thailand’s justice system is notoriously opaque and slow moving while the DSI say any court case must reach its conclusion before the cars go back. | Thailand’s justice system is notoriously opaque and slow moving while the DSI say any court case must reach its conclusion before the cars go back. |
| “The work is difficult but we will fully investigate this,” DSI deputy Korawat said. “It will take time.” | “The work is difficult but we will fully investigate this,” DSI deputy Korawat said. “It will take time.” |
| Organised crime | |
| Crime | |
| Thailand | |
| news | |
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