Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

Police in Bangkok have busted a car cloning ring, seizing four Toyota Vellfire vehicles all bearing the same registration plates and chassis numbers.

 

The operation was led by Pol Maj Gen Chotiwat Luangwilai of the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Investigation Division, who announced the seizure on the afternoon of 29 August. Officers acted on a tip-off from a concerned citizen via the “Sueb Nakhonban IDMB” Facebook page, which reported that several vehicles were being driven around the capital with identical plates.

 

Investigators confirmed that at least four black Toyota Vellfires were using the same registration, “3 Kor Lor 5005, Bangkok”, raising suspicions the cars were either smuggled or untaxed vehicles disguised with fake documentation.

 

Armed with court warrants, police and excise officials raided four locations on 27 August, recovering all four suspect vehicles:

 

1. Lat Phrao, Bangkok – A car seized from a Chinese national, Mr Wang, who claimed a friend had given it to him and then later stated he bought it via TikTok for 500,000 baht.

 

2. Bang Na, Bangkok – A vehicle found at a company premises, where Ms Nithrada said an associate named Arm had left it as collateral for a 200,000 baht debt.

 

3. Pathum Thani province – A car taken from Mr Piriyapong, who said he had bought it at private auction for 1.34 million baht.

 

4. Samut Songkhram province – A vehicle discovered at the home of Mr Chaisit, who claimed he used it only occasionally and had paid the road tax and insurance himself.

 

Police noted that not only the registration numbers but also the engine and chassis numbers of all four cars were identical, indicating sophisticated forgery.

 

While the vehicles were found in separate locations, investigators believe the counterfeiting was the work of a single individual. Officers remain sceptical of the explanations given by the current holders of the cars and all four vehicles have been sent for forensic examination by the Scientific Crime Detection Division.

 

The Department of Land Transport has also been asked to assist in verifying documents and tracing the origins of the vehicles. Police say prosecutions will follow once the investigation is complete.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-08-30

 

 

 

I'm guessing that it's the paperwork that shows identical numbers...but whatever...a clever scam that worked....for a while.

If the chap did pay the road tax as he said, it would have been flagged up there and then that something was wrong

When I saw the headline, I thought they spelled "clown" wrong.

 

On a more serious note, I wonder how many cloned cars they have in LOS.  That's one way around the high tariff.  These 4 may be the tip of a huge iceberg.

 

You don't buy grey imports of fancy cars, always buy them through the official dealer channel.

 

Many grey imports have been reported stolen in the UK.

2 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

 

1. Lat Phrao, Bangkok – A car seized from a Chinese national, Mr Wang, who claimed a friend had given it to him and then later stated he bought it via TikTok for 500,000 baht.

 

 

 

bwahahahahaha bought a Vellfire for 500k on tiktok.

 

farking idiot couldn't even make up a plausible BS story!