B10m in contraband whisky, watches seized

B10m in contraband whisky, watches seized

Police inspect boxes containing smuggled foreign whisky and watches, with a street value of about 10 million baht, seized from a pickup truck in Prachuap Khiri Khan on Tuesday. (Photo by Chaiwat Satyaem)
Police inspect boxes containing smuggled foreign whisky and watches, with a street value of about 10 million baht, seized from a pickup truck in Prachuap Khiri Khan on Tuesday. (Photo by Chaiwat Satyaem)

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN -- Police seized a large quantity of untaxed foreign whisky and watches, with a total street value of about 10 million baht, after stopping a pickup truck with the contraband in Muang district on Tuesday, police said.

Pol Col Ampon Amornlakpreecha, the Muang district police chief, said the intercepted Isuzu Mu7 SUV was one of the seven vehicles reported in a radio message to be passing through Prachuap Khiri Khan province around noon carrying large quanties of contraband.  

Police were deployed to Phetkasem intersection to watch for vehicles matching the descriptions given in the message.  However, the drivers of the targeted vehicles seem to have spotted police cars moving in the area and split up, fleeing in different directions.

The police managed to intercept only the Bangkok-registered SUV, driven by That Ranthakerngphan of Songkhla's Hat Yai district. 

Found in the vehicle were five cases each holding 12 one-litre bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label whisky, along with 8,148 watches of Casio and US Submarine brands.  The street value of the contraband was about 10 million baht.

Mr That, the driver, allegedly told the police the contraband was smuggled into the country by boat from Malaysia. The seven vehicles picked it up from a warehouse in Satun province and where to deliver it to Bangkok.

He said he had done this seven or eight times, and was paid 13,000 baht for each delivery.

The suspect was charged with smuggling untaxed goods into the country.  Police were expanding their investigation.

The intercepted Isuzu Mu7 SUV which was carrying contraband worth about 10 million baht. (Photo by Chaiwat Satyaem)

A police officer  opens one of the seized boxes and finds contraband watches inside. (Photo by Chaiwat Satyaem)

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