Police arrested luxury car dealer Intarasak "Boy Unity" Techaterasiri in Bangkok Wednesday afternoon for alleged fraud in sales of Porsche and Lamborghini cars worth nearly 40 million baht after he filed a malfeasance lawsuit against the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police on pickup trucks and motorcycles stopped Mr Intarasak's brand-new black BMW car on Soi See Khram, the road that accesses the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in Dusit district.
"Boy Unity" was leaving the court after filing a malfeasance complaint against the DSI director-general and 11 subordinates, who had raided his luxury car showrooms on Ratchadaphisek and Sukhumvit roads in Bangkok late last month. Thirty-four cars suspected to have been stolen in Britain and imported without tariff were impounded.
CSD deputy commander Pol Col Jiraphop Phuridet said the CSD had received complaints last year accusing Mr Intarasak of luring people into buying luxury cars, and the CSD found two cases of smuggling.
One was a Porsche worth slightly more than 7 million baht and the other was a Lamborghini priced at more than 30 million baht, the deputy commander said.
Theerasit Suriyanchaicharoen, Mr Intarasak's lawyer, said Wednesday night that his client was questioned at the CSD for about three hours and police refused to release him temporarily.
Police would seek court approval for his detention at the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court Thursday morning, said the lawyer, who planned to seek the temporary release then.
He refused to elaborate on the questioning and charge but said that his client was innocent and had evidence to prove that.