Thai customs cracks down smuggled cars

BANGKOK, June 1 (TNA) - Thai customs officials have seriously suppressed car smuggling from neighbouring countries, especially luxury sedans, as ordered by Customs Department Director-General Benja Louischaroen. Rakop Srisupaat, Deputy Director-General of the Customs Department, said that cars might be smuggled into Thailand by people who claimed to be tourists and they never drove such cars back. The senior customs official acknowledged that about one million vehicles have entered Thailand for tourism through border crossings annually, but only 0.01 per cent of them have exited the country. Thai customs officials have, meanwhile, impounded about 270 smuggled vehicles so far this year, about 5 per cent of them are luxury Lamborghini and Bentley cars. (TNA)