AMLO kicks off crackdown on trade in rosewood

[Lite Beer]

SMUGGLING
AMLO kicks off crackdown on trade in rosewood
Piyanut Tumnukasetchai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Agency seizes Bt100 million in assets, arrests pair after five-province probe

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) is taking serious action against the illegal trade in Siamese rosewood, with yesterday's operation alone leading to the seizure of about Bt100 million in assets and the arrest of two suspects.

The suspects were identified as Udomdej and Janpen Oun-tuang.

The asset seizure and arrests took place after joint police-military raids in 20 locations across five provinces in the Northeast, namely Ubon Ratchathani, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Si Sa Ket and Kalasin.

"From now on, cases related to Siamese-rosewood trading will be handled in the same way as drug-trafficking cases.

"Authorities will order asset seizures and the offenders may even lose their homes" if the property is found to have been acquired via ill-gotten gains, AMLO secretary-general Seehanat Prayoonrat said.

The most recent raids were related to a large smuggling gang that had allegedly felled protected rosewood trees in Thailand and smuggled them to clients in Laos.

"We are going to investigate this further," Seehanat said.

On March 1, AMLO received a request from a police station in Ubon Ratchathani for a financial investigation against a suspected rosewood trader and his accomplices.

The further checks have implicated Udomdej and Janpen Ountuang, Suparp Uppara, Sakthep Surasiang, Ekarat Saennamwong, Thirapon Ariya-mukda, Prajak Thepseeha, Pirun Thongsarn and many others as suspects.

According to the probe, Sakthep allegedly had contacts with several agents to have the Siamese rosewood smuggled to Laos in a convoy, with the fourth vehicle in the convoy carrying armed men. Most of these armed men were found to be former rangers.

Sakthep's wife - a Laotian - was also found to have frequently exchanged foreign currency in commercial banks, claiming she won big prizes in casinos in Laos.

Each exchange usually involved sums of between Bt4 million and Bt5 million.

It is alleged that some of the ill-gotten profits were also being laundered via a tour company owned by Pirun's mother.

"This gang has several billion baht in cash flow," Seehanat said.

An informed source at AMLO said this gang also ran a number of garages and car-dealing businesses as fronts for the illegal activities.

"It has modified different types of vehicles for their smuggling purposes," the source said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/AMLO-kicks-off-crackdown-on-trade-in-rosewood-30237788.html

-- The Nation 2014-07-05

[Lite Beer]

Major Rosewood smuggling gang busted

BANGKOK: -- Rosewood smuggling network in five northeastern provinces was simultaneously cracked Friday by combined force of police, soldiers, forestry and anti-money laundering officials with the seizure of a gang’s assets worth more than 100 million baht confiscated.

The raid in one province was led by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO).The assets impounded for checks made up of homes, automobiles and rosewood valued at more than 100 million baht in total.

The simultaneous raid is a determined effort by authorities to stem the illegal international rosewood smuggling which remains rampant due the high demand abroad and its costly prices.

The assets were seized by AMLO in a major raid of an illegal rosewood trading syndicate operating in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani.

In the raid, authorities seized several homes, more than 60 vehicles along with cash deposited in bank accounts and rosewood timber blocks.

The combined force raided the premises of illegal traders searching residences, garages and a used car dealership believed to belong to a syndicate headed by ‘Sia Pharp’ or Phakin Siriwarom who had been arrested earlier.

Authorities said the Sor Yingcharoen used car dealer firm in Ubon Ratchathani province is one of 20 premises targeted in a simultaneous raid on five provinces in the northeast which included Ubon Ratchathani, Mukdaharn, Si Saket, Amnart Charoen and Kalasin.

Authorities believed that the used car dealer in Ubon Ratchathani provides the vehicles, which were modified, for transporting rosewood across the border out of Thailand.

AMLO chief Pol Col Sihanart Prayoonrat disclosed that authorities discovered that the vehicles had been modified to transport rosewood timber.

For instance, passenger seats had been removed so that rosewood could be put its place.

He also said another vehicle which was relatively new was allegedly put up for sale but this contradicts with the fact that personal items were still in the cabin.

“In any event, we have seized all the assets and will be making checks to determine how they got here and from where did they originate. The total number of vehicles is being counted and we should know the total amount by late afternoon,” he said.

Authorities said second hand vehicles are the main vehicles used to transport rosewood because in the event that they are seized by authorities, the suspects then deny ownership stating that the vehicle had already been sold.

Furthermore, in the past, appeals have been made for the return of the vehicles after legal action had been taken. The appeal is made on the premise that they had no involvement of the actual crime.

But the car dealer Somchai Jantharak denied all the theories arguing no modifications have been made.

“It is the condition that it arrived at our dealership and we have not done anything to it. We can even return it to its owner in its present condition as it arrived here just like that,” he claimed.

Authorities said all the assets have been seized under the charges of laundering money obtained from illegal trafficking of protected natural esources.

“The vehicles have mostly had their rear passenger seats removed to facilitate the transport of rosewood timber blocks. They are then usually transported at night,” one AMLO official said.

This illegal rosewood trading syndicate is the largest operating in the northeastern part of Thailand. It is believed that they receive protection from influential individuals in the area. Their normal routine for transport of rosewood is to travel in a convoy of between 4 – 5 vehicles.

The lead vehicle scouts the route ahead followed by the transport vehicle which is accompanied by another vehicle providing security and finally, the rear most vehicle which is filled with heavily armed military personnel. Money got from the sale of rosewood is laundered and some are then used to purchase gold blocks. The gold and cash are then deposited in banks where their relatives are the branch managers, authorities said.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/major-rosewood-smuggling-gang-busted/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=major-rosewood-smuggling-gang-busted

-- Thai PBS 2014-07-05

[billd766]

Good!

[lostsoul49]

They should roll out mandatory asset seizures right across the board to punish EVERY crime, including corruption in the police force which is still rampant today as it has always been.

Obviously the police have been told by the junta they may remain corrupt. Which is a shame really because that is at the root of most crime and corruption in Thailand.

Take away police corruption and the police will take away all other corruption and also block crime.

I have personally seen three incidents of police corruption in action since the coup.

[trainman34014]

Talk about the Mafia; the Godfather and his mob were pussy cats compared to this lot. See how 'the family' are all in it right up to their necks, even the bank managers are relatives. It also states 'The rear most vehicle is filled with heavily armed military personnel '. Is this true or does it really mean 'heavily armed men' ? Perhaps this 'family' even extends to having relatives in the military; very useful for missions such as this !