Lao nationals arrested crossing border with Bt98m

By KAMTORN KONGSOMBAT 
THE NATION 
NONG KHAI

 

 

CUSTOMS officials on Tuesday discovered more than Bt98 million in Thai banknotes in a car that was trying to cross the border into Laos.

 

Two Lao nationals in the car were arrested at the Nong Khai Customs checkpoint.

 

To explain the cash, siblings Suebanh Tiasili, 30, and Khumborn Tiasyly, 24, claimed that their family had a currency exchange business.

 

However, Thai authorities will investigate their claim further to determine if they are involved in illegal acts.

 

Thai law prohibits the transportation of amounts exceeding Bt450,000 across borders without notifying relevant officials. 

 

“These two Laotians violated our laws. Now, their cash and vehicle have been seized pending further examination,” Nong Khai Customs checkpoint chief Nimit Saeng-ampai said on Tuesday. 

 

He and his team intercepted the Toyota Land Cruiser after a tip-off that it might have linked to illegal activities. 

 

The vehicle had previously transited the Nong Khai checkpoint several times. 

 

Nimit said the Lao suspects claimed that they had exchanged US$2.5 million (Bt81.5 million) for Thai banknotes at various banks in Thailand’s Nong Khai province and planned to take the Thai currency back to Laos. 

 

According to officials, the suspects had apparently tried to hide the cash in milk boxes and inside the engine compartment of their vehicle. 

 

Nimit said Customs violations could be settled out of court. “But even if these suspects do so, they will be put on the blacklist. They will not be allowed to enter Thailand again,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30333781

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-12

                           

13 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Customs violations could be settled out of court.

Along with many other crimes, dependent on your connections of course.

When, it today exists so many fast, untracable and didgital ways to transfer money??? Seems like not even the people trying to be full time criminals can get good labour theese days.

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

CUSTOMS officials on Tuesday discovered more than Bt98 million in Thai banknotes in a car that was trying to cross the border into Laos.

Christmas bonus has come early for these officials. 

Edited December 12, 20178 yr by Bluespunk

I'm going to Laos next week.

Anyone want me to carry their bags across the bridge for them? For a modest 5% fee of course...

1 minute ago, bluesofa said:

I'm going to Laos next week.

Anyone want me to carry their bags across the bridge for them? For a modest 5% fee of course...

yes ,   thanks for the offer ......    you can carry the suitcase with my clothes and thai souvenirs in it ...   it weighs about 50kg ,     oh ...  5%     is that 5% of what cash i have on me ....     I'll have around 100 baht .. so that's 5 baht right ?

thanks for the help carrying my suitcase ....

I don't understand this at all.Legal or not,why would you choose this method?

They would seem to be "unusually" rich. 

I wonder who ratted them out ... the banks where they exchanged the $ for THB ?

9 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

I wonder who ratted them out ... the banks where they exchanged the $ for THB ?

would imagine one or all of the businesses they exchanged the money at ratted them out, a bit unusual to have that kind of $ around...I'm surprised it wasn't fake. wonder who the big guy is behind all this?

With that amount the smugglers are lucky they and the cash didnt vanish.

So when i do the border run im smuggling cash and sperm... ill need a good lawyer

So the authorities were "Tipped Off", probably from a rival crowd in the same business (whatever that maybe), however, the thought runs through my mind, how many people carry out this sort of thing everyday and are not 'Tipped off' to the authorities ... its mind boggling how many goods cross the border (mainly Thailand to Laos) where the visitors cover the expensive items under a load of Tesco Lotus toilet tissues and alike ....

 

I bought a new 30HP outboard in Pattaya once, drove back in my Ford pickup, got the wife to come over from Vientiane in her Fortuner, did some shopping and then we transferred the outboard from the Ford to the Fortuner ... this was at a well known shopping centre ... and blow me down if a local policemen came over to help us carry the outboard as it was pretty heavy and not once did he query why were taking it from a Lao Reg.  pick up to a Lao Registered Fortuner .... Phew ... that was close, but customs on both sides rarely check !