Tax losses to the country as a result of the scam involving brands such as Rolls-Royce and Porsche totalled nearly Bt500 million, Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Paisit Wongmuang told a press conference yesterday.

However, Paisit’s deputy Suriya Singhakamon said owners who bought vehicles in good faith should not be alarmed as the DSI would be targeting the car importers. The DSI has so far initiated legal actions involving 7,000 vehicles implicated in tax evasion cases.

In the latest operations, DSI officials served a search warrant at SKT Motor Co Ltd in Prachin Buri’s Bang Sang district where 37 cars were impounded including two Bentleys, 14 Mercedes-Benzes, five BMWs, one Porsche and one Lexus.

Paisit said the company’s alleged false declaration of cars to avoid taxes caused damages worth Bt200 million to the country.

Another 12 cars worth Bt70 million – including one Bentley, two Ferraris, one Rolls-Royce and eight Porsches – were seized from a gang that allegedly imported fully assembled cars into Thailand to be registered with forged documents to avoid tax. The scam cost the country Bt280 million, Paisit said.

In both cases, there could be charges for alleged violations of the Customs Act BE 2469 (1926)’s Article 27, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine worth four times the product price plus tax.

Criminal Code violations for forging documents are punishable by up to three years in prison.

Anyone who suspects cars in their possession had been registered illegally should call the DSI hotline 1202.