DSI impounds more luxury cars for alleged tax evasion

BANGKOK, May 25 (TNA) - The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) seized 38 luxury cars during searches on Wednesday at six showrooms in Bangkok. The 38 seized luxury cars are Maserati, Rolls-Royse, Aston Martin, MxLaren and Ferrari. Out of this number, eight cars were seized from three showrooms at Siam Paragon and 30 cars were seized from Rolls-Royse Motor Cars Bangkok showroom on RamaIII Road in Bangkolaem district. The DSI will further conduct probes on whether they were properly taxed. If the imports of these cars are involved tax avoidance, it is estimated to deprive the government of 500 million baht for unpaid taxes. DSI deputy chief Korawat Panprapakorn said yesterday’s searches came after last week’s same operation, which led to the seizure of 122 cars in raids on nine locations in Bangkok and Samut Prakan to crack down on a tax avoidance network. The alleged tax evasion of the seized vehicles is estimated to cause the loss to the state at about 2.4 billion baht, or 10 million to 18 million baht per car. Under the tax avoidance scheme, the importers understate the declared prices of the vehicles by as much as 40 per cent, he said. (TNA)