Phuket Customs Director: Illegal Diesel Probably Used To Support Terrorism

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Phuket Customs director: Illegal diesel probably used to support terrorism

Phuket Gazette

Director of the Investigation and Suppression Bureau, Customs Department, Rakob Srisupa, with the illegal fuel. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

The 141 gross ton ship, Nok Nan Nam, was illegally importing 230,000 liters of fuel. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

PHUKET: -- Customs officials who seized over 200,000 liters of smuggled diesel fuel off Phuket on Monday suspect the profits from such sales are likely being channeled to support terrorist activities.

“Customs have been cracking down on illegally imported goods, especially fuel, which is probably being used to support terrorism,” said Rakob Srisupa, director of the Customs Department Marine Investigation and Suppression Bureau Region 2 office at Phuket Deep Sea Port.

The comments came at a press conference on Tuesday, when Mr Rakob announced the seizure at 3:30am the night before of the 141-tonne vessel Nok Nan Nam about 10 kilometers east of Koh Racha Noi.

The vessel was laden with about 230,000 liters of illegal diesel with an estimated black market value of approximately 6.9 million baht, the press was told.

The Burmese captain, Lin Au, and his six Burmese crew members were arrested.

“The suspects confessed that they were hired to smuggle fuel from Phuket to Ranong,” said Director Rakob.

“They told us that the boat owner was Thai,” he added.

The suspects have been charged for delivering goods with the intention of defrauding the government by failure to pay taxes.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16400.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-07-12

[NomadJoe]

Does the Director have any actual reason to believe the money is used to support terrorism? And who is being terrorized? Is talking about the Muslim insurgents in the south? Or does this guy normally make completely random claims with out any evidence? His department will surely see an influx of cash if he convinces people he is "fighting terrorism."

[PoodMaiDai]

Probably

[madmitch]

Does the Director have any actual reason to believe the money is used to support terrorism? And who is being terrorized? Is talking about the Muslim insurgents in the south? Or does this guy normally make completely random claims with out any evidence? His department will surely see an influx of cash if he convinces people he is "fighting terrorism."

I would assume that the boat-owner is a Muslim, as are many people involved in the industry in the South. Now I am making an assumption. I'd like to think that the Customs Director actually has some evidence and isn't doing the same as me.

[steelepulse]

I think he missed the memo where there was going to be only one spokesperson for any incidents.........Oh wait, maybe it's his turn.

[NomadJoe]

Does the Director have any actual reason to believe the money is used to support terrorism? And who is being terrorized? Is talking about the Muslim insurgents in the south? Or does this guy normally make completely random claims with out any evidence? His department will surely see an influx of cash if he convinces people he is "fighting terrorism."

I would assume that the boat-owner is a Muslim, as are many people involved in the industry in the South. Now I am making an assumption. I'd like to think that the Customs Director actually has some evidence and isn't doing the same as me.

Perhaps it's just that the reporter has chosen to leave that info out of the report. This was from a press conference so surely there is more info we for some reason aren't being told. Either way, fine reporting once again PG.

[Jimi007]

I would assume that the boat-owner is a Muslim, as are many people involved in the industry in the South. Now I am making an assumption. I'd like to think that the Customs Director actually has some evidence and isn't doing the same as me.

Why would you assume that? the article states: The Burmese captain, Lin Au, and his six Burmese crew members were arrested.

“The suspects confessed that they were hired to smuggle fuel from Phuket to Ranong,” said Director Rakob.

“They told us that the boat owner was Thai,” he added.

Seems like profit and avoiding tax was the motivation to me. I assume you know something the rest of us don't?

[fxe1200]

Does the Director have any actual reason to believe the money is used to support terrorism? And who is being terrorized? Is talking about the Muslim insurgents in the south? Or does this guy normally make completely random claims with out any evidence? His department will surely see an influx of cash if he convinces people he is "fighting terrorism."

Bullshit! I cannot talk about diesel fuel but about gas or benzine. Since more than 8 months I refuel my motorbike with benzine from Malaysia, 30 THB a litre. Even the local police uses the makeshift fuel stations on the roadside almost everywhere. "Everyday low price" does not refer to TESCO any longer.

The fact that diesel fuel or any other fuel is also being distributed in the " North" ( I am living in Hat Yai), is just a question of availability and demand. And the borders to Malaysia are just to put a stamp in your passport if necessary.

Attached: Some tanks on the way back to HDY on the border bus.

Edited July 12, 2012 by fxe1200

[Sayonarax]

How to be an important figure in Thailand? Just Speculate everything! As long as you seem to know what your talking about it, then it must be true.

Close the boarder idiot.

[boggle]

Does the Director have any actual reason to believe the money is used to support terrorism? And who is being terrorized? Is talking about the Muslim insurgents in the south? Or does this guy normally make completely random claims with out any evidence? His department will surely see an influx of cash if he convinces people he is "fighting terrorism."

Bullshit! I cannot talk about diesel fuel but about gas or benzine. Since more than 8 months I refuel my motorbike with benzine from Malaysia, 30 THB a litre. Even the local police uses the makeshift fuel stations on the roadside almost everywhere. "Everyday low price" does not refer to TESCO any longer.

The fact that diesel fuel or any other fuel is also being distributed in the " North" ( I am living in Hat Yai), is just a question of availability and demand. And the borders to Malaysia are just to put a stamp in your passport if necessary.

Attached: Some tanks on the way back to HDY on the border bus.

You sure thats Benzine?

[belg]

230.000 liters for a misery 6.9 million baht...better start dealing / smuggeling something else, next time

[fxe1200]

Does the Director have any actual reason to believe the money is used to support terrorism? And who is being terrorized? Is talking about the Muslim insurgents in the south? Or does this guy normally make completely random claims with out any evidence? His department will surely see an influx of cash if he convinces people he is "fighting terrorism."

Bullshit! I cannot talk about diesel fuel but about gas or benzine. Since more than 8 months I refuel my motorbike with benzine from Malaysia, 30 THB a litre. Even the local police uses the makeshift fuel stations on the roadside almost everywhere. "Everyday low price" does not refer to TESCO any longer.

The fact that diesel fuel or any other fuel is also being distributed in the " North" ( I am living in Hat Yai), is just a question of availability and demand. And the borders to Malaysia are just to put a stamp in your passport if necessary.

Attached: Some tanks on the way back to HDY on the border bus.

You sure thats Benzine?

No,it is not benzine, it is lao kao. All the Southern motorcycles and cars run with it just perfect!

[NomadJoe]

Does the Director have any actual reason to believe the money is used to support terrorism? And who is being terrorized? Is talking about the Muslim insurgents in the south? Or does this guy normally make completely random claims with out any evidence? His department will surely see an influx of cash if he convinces people he is "fighting terrorism."

Bullshit! I cannot talk about diesel fuel but about gas or benzine. Since more than 8 months I refuel my motorbike with benzine from Malaysia, 30 THB a litre. Even the local police uses the makeshift fuel stations on the roadside almost everywhere. "Everyday low price" does not refer to TESCO any longer.

The fact that diesel fuel or any other fuel is also being distributed in the " North" ( I am living in Hat Yai), is just a question of availability and demand. And the borders to Malaysia are just to put a stamp in your passport if necessary.

Attached: Some tanks on the way back to HDY on the border bus.

What is bullshit? My comment or the Directors claim? Nothing you wrote would seem to show evidence towards either one. His claim was that money made smuggling it profited terrorists. He didn;t say, but it was probably from Malaysia where deisel is heavily subsidized but he only mentioned the Burmese crew admitted to being paid to take it from Phuket to Burma and didn't say where it came fromoriginally. Nothing was mentioned about Malaysia, although it's not unreasonable to assume that is where it came from. There are plenty of previous reports of cheap diesel being smuggled from Malaysia. It's 2/3 cheaper there than the world average.

All of Malaysian fuels are heavily subsidized, but the cheapest stuff, which there I believe is a higher octane, 95 or something, is not legally sellable to people with Thai plates X amount of KM's from the boarder because Thai's were doing just what you are doing. Singaporeans too. In fact Singaporeans cannot even enter Malaysia with less than 3/4 of a tank of gas. So are you driving deeper into Malaysia then, or have you found a gas station willing to work with you?

Edited July 13, 2012 by NomadJoe

[madmitch]

I would assume that the boat-owner is a Muslim, as are many people involved in the industry in the South. Now I am making an assumption. I'd like to think that the Customs Director actually has some evidence and isn't doing the same as me.

Why would you assume that? the article states: The Burmese captain, Lin Au, and his six Burmese crew members were arrested.

“The suspects confessed that they were hired to smuggle fuel from Phuket to Ranong,” said Director Rakob.

“They told us that the boat owner was Thai,” he added.

Seems like profit and avoiding tax was the motivation to me. I assume you know something the rest of us don't?

You appear to be making an assumption as well judging by your penultimate sentence.

[fxe1200]

What is bullshit? My comment or the Directors claim? [...] So are you driving deeper into Malaysia then, or have you found a gas station willing to work with you?

The directors claim for sure. Smuggling profits stay with the smuggler in the first place. If he/she then decides to give some dough to support terrorism, well terrorism is being supported and paid for from many sources, may be smuggling too, but the directors statement said "probably", that means he does not have any evidence at all.

No I get my gas as everybody else in Hat Yai at one of more than hundred makeshift gas stations, on the roadside, sold out of 1-litre coke bottles or regular 10 to 30ltr. tanks. I do not have to ride into Malaysia to get cheap gas. Thanks to the excellent partnership and close collaboration with the country 50km South, Hat Yai has some more advantages to fight inflation.

[NomadJoe]

What is bullshit? My comment or the Directors claim? [...] So are you driving deeper into Malaysia then, or have you found a gas station willing to work with you?

The directors claim for sure. Smuggling profits stay with the smuggler in the first place. If he/she then decides to give some dough to support terrorism, well terrorism is being supported and paid for from many sources, may be smuggling too, but the directors statement said "probably", that means he does not have any evidence at all.

No I get my gas as everybody else in Hat Yai at one of more than hundred makeshift gas stations, on the roadside, sold out of 1-litre coke bottles or regular 10 to 30ltr. tanks. I do not have to ride into Malaysia to get cheap gas. Thanks to the excellent partnership and close collaboration with the country 50km South, Hat Yai has some more advantages to fight inflation.

Ah, so you're supporting terrorism.

.

Edited July 13, 2012 by NomadJoe

[fxe1200]

What is bullshit? My comment or the Directors claim? [...] So are you driving deeper into Malaysia then, or have you found a gas station willing to work with you?

The directors claim for sure. Smuggling profits stay with the smuggler in the first place. If he/she then decides to give some dough to support terrorism, well terrorism is being supported and paid for from many sources, may be smuggling too, but the directors statement said "probably", that means he does not have any evidence at all.

No I get my gas as everybody else in Hat Yai at one of more than hundred makeshift gas stations, on the roadside, sold out of 1-litre coke bottles or regular 10 to 30ltr. tanks. I do not have to ride into Malaysia to get cheap gas. Thanks to the excellent partnership and close collaboration with the country 50km South, Hat Yai has some more advantages to fight inflation.

Ah, so you're supporting terrorism.

...with increasing enthusiasm!