'Unusually rich' Phuket taxi drivers face money laundering probe

[webfact]

'Unusually rich' Phuket taxi drivers face money laundering probe
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Gen Panya: Many millions of baht in taxi driver bank accounts.

PHUKET: -- Many of the taxi drivers charged in the recent police blitz with a variety of crimes are also “unusually rich”, and now face minute examination of their assets and bank accounts. Already police have found “hundreds of millions of baht”.

Lt Gen Panya Mamen, Commissioner of Police Region 8, explained on Friday (June 6), “Last night, I met Chanchai Pongpasson, Director of AMLO Litigation Division 3, to consider the evidence we have. He asked that policemen collect more evidence.

“In Phuket, 4,000 to 5,000 taxi drivers are legal. We are concerned only with the [108] drivers under investigation.

“Police officers have already found large amounts of money in these people’s accounts – the total is in the hundreds of millions of baht.”

Police believe much of this money was obtained dishonestly, and there may be a lot more out there. They are also expected to look for any money trail that leads back to local influential people.

“Collecting of background information will be clear in two or three weeks. Some of [the taxi drivers] may be worried about us seizing their assets and may have transferred money to other accounts. If we detect them doing this, then they will be charged.

“Suspicious people tend to split their money and leave it with many [friends or relatives].” But they face heavy penalties if detected; the law mandates a prison sentence of up to five years for each money transfer.

Gen Panya also addressed the protection of witnesses against threats from those who have been arrested. “One witness in the Chalong area told us that he had been intimidated by a friend of one of the illegal taxi drivers, who spent time watching the witness’ children at school.

“However, we have a process and a team to protect witness. They will look after them.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/%E2%80%98unusually-rich%E2%80%99-phuket-taxi-drivers-face-money-laundering-probe-46746.php


-- Phuket News 2014-06-09

[Cuchulainn]

Surely they're all unusually rich with the ridiculous fares they extort.

[GeorgeO]

This just keeps getting better and better....!! What a very nice start to the month of June..!

[phuketrichard]

how much baht is it to be “unusually rich”

1 million, 5, 10???

[shirtless]

This is a good start, taxi divers, when are they going to move up the food chain, public servants local politicians .

[332]

How much do the police have in theirs?

[whybother]

I wonder who pissed off who to get this going as far as it has.

[332]

^ The mil*tary weren't getting their cut?

[332]

So how much is it from the airport in a taxi nowadays?

Still taxi drivers charging people 3 times the price and telling people to <deleted> their mother, like the video posted on here not long ago?

[LivinginKata]

Surely they're all unusually rich with the ridiculous fares they extort.

Yes, but the driver has to split with all sorts of people further up the food chain. They don't make that much on taxi fares, perhaps the make in other illegal activities ??

[ThaiNotes]

"the [108] drivers"

Does this literally mean 108 drivers, or is it the Thai expression roi paet meaning "lots of"?

[HeavyDrinker]

Police believe much of this money was obtained dishonestly, and there may be a lot more out there. They are also expected to look for any money trail that leads back to local influential people.

I wonder how many unusually rich coppers are sweating up under their "tight browns" or taking 'illegal' taxis to the airport if this is the critera they are using to support their investigation?

Edited June 9, 2014 by HeavyDrinker

[steelepulse]

Follow the money! In days past any attempt to do this would result in immediate transfer. Let's hope they follow the audit trail and uncover a few ( expected and unexpected) gems.

[ezzra]

You cant be rich from driving a taxi, just ask Robert De Niro.....

[oldsailor35]

So will the army think of checking the bank accounts of lowly paid Police officers ?

[garrya]

I would suggest that they scrutinize local council officials' wealth (that would uncover billions again) , as well as local council workers', immigration officers', police officers', teachers of highly regarded government schools .......

I guess the list could go on and on ...

[chiang mai]

^ The mil*tary weren't getting their cut?

Wake up and wise up before making comments like that.

[eezergood]

I think the tuk tuk driver that lives in Patong and has a Camero would be one of these guys.........

[Oziex1]

What gives? the shacks are down in Nai Harn and Rawai now these guys are just sitting around in the same places, there a shack on Soi Naya now but I think it's on the guys own front yard.

[Maroon Watcher]

... I have a 5 room villa with pool and a w/e run around (Porsche)

Oh... that's nice, what do you do?

(Shrug of shoulders) Just a Taxi driver....

[jaapfries]

I think the tuk tuk driver that lives in Patong and has a Camero would be one of these guys.........

What do you mean: a Camaro (recent model) is 'only' worth about Bt. 6 million . . . . . . . . .

[JetsetBkk]

"Suspicious people tend to split their money and leave it with many [friends or relatives]."

Perhaps ask the former mayor of Patong - or his son - if he knows who the money actually belongs to.

[Dogmatix]

How about unusually rich police officers and jet ski operators in Phuket?

[geezer2]

How about unusually rich police officers and jet ski operators in Phuket?

The way it is going i can only say give it time..the more they (junta) speak to IMO they more they grass up

[HerbalEd]

It's very interesting watching this all unfold. I'm very curious to see how long it lasts and how far it will go ... and how high up it will go. I gotta feeling a lot of corrupt people are getting more and more worried as this all progresses.

[HerbalEd]

I think the tuk tuk driver that lives in Patong and has a Camero would be one of these guys.........

What do you mean: a Camaro (recent model) is 'only' worth about Bt. 6 million . . . . . . . . .

Six-million baht is a huge amount of money for a tuk tuk driver.

[stoli]

^ The mil*tary weren't getting their cut?

That is correct. The important thing to remember is that the military, being military, was not asking for a cut. Discipline. That is what they are all about. They seem to be focusing in areas that we all knew about, except now someone cares. Enjoy it. Once stopped completely, it will be hard to re-start. The only corruption to grow will be contributions given by Lobbyists to Politicians. Time to become a Lobbyist if you want to legally succeed.

[keemapoot]

In normal countries, you rarely find "unusually rich" taxi drivers, cops or soldiers. TIT

[eezergood]

I think the tuk tuk driver that lives in Patong and has a Camero would be one of these guys.........

What do you mean: a Camaro (recent model) is 'only' worth about Bt. 6 million . . . . . . . . .

Six-million baht is a huge amount of money for a tuk tuk driver.

he tounge was lodged firmly into his cheek i think.........

[monkeycountry]

Simply ask for income tax receipts from the drivers, and confiscate any money in excess of those tax receipts.

As a result they can confiscate all the money, since I personally guarantee that not a single driver has ever paid a single baht in income tax!