Korrawat urged people who had purchased luxury cars to submit the vehicles for inspection and said they would be regarded as damaged parties in the case, while warning that those who failed to cooperate would be unable to renew their car registrations with the Land Transport Department next year.

Korrawat made the comment as he and Customs Department deputy chief Chaiyut Kumkun led investigators to impound a Range Rover Hybrid from the JMW car warehouse in the Bangkok Free Trade Zone on Wednesday in response to reports that cars stolen from Britain had been kept there.

The serial numbers on the car matched those of a vehicle reported stolen by UK authorities, so Thai investigators seized the vehicle and sent it to the Customs Department.

Korrawat said officers were also checking if the JMW car warehouse was linked to another warehouse where authorities had retrieved three stolen cars – a white Mercedes-Benz, a black Mercedes-Benz and a Nissan sports car.

The operation brought the number of retrieved cars to 13 out of 42 reported as stolen from Britain.

Korrwat said the DSI would continue to look for the rest of the vehicles, although some were believed to have already been sent to a third country.

Chaiyut said his department had been told that two stolen vehicles that had been exported from Thailand to Hong Kong had not reached their destination and would be recalled.

He added that Customs officials involved in wrongdoing would face disciplinary and criminal actions.