Thai Customs Department crushed Bt40 million Ferrari

[dirtydog]

Customs Department crushed Bt40 million Ferrari

The Customs Department Wednesday crushed a Bt40 million Ferrari to metal scraps to prevent "car laundering".

The department's director-general Chawalit Satemethakul Wednesday presided over the destroying of an unclaimed Ferrari 456 GT car, which was seized from a Samut Prakan garage on June 28.

The car was found to have no key parts such as an engine's interface box, an antilock braking system (ABS) and its pump, a transmission interface box, car wiring systems, and an exhaust pipe, Chawalit said.

To cut criminals' opportunity the department decided to destroy the car instead of putting in an auction as usual, he said. The car was yesterday crushed by a heavy excavator and would be sold as metal pieces.

The Nation

[chinthee]

Occasionally, they have to put on a big show like this, because all the senior officials' collector garages are full.

[Butterfly]

now that's a crime in itself

[Thormaturge]

That's the last time I leave my car in for repairs overnight. Sheesh

[Richard Littlejohn]

interface box, an antilock braking system (ABS) and its pump, a transmission interface box, car wiring systems, and an exhaust pipe

Not really a 40m car at all - the parts alone would set you back half of that.

[Thormaturge]

Just for illustration purposes, here we have a car being laundered.

[Thetyim]

Just for illustration purposes this is what a 456GT looks like in the flesh.
Did I say flesh? Damn, what a give away.

[klongmaster]

40 million is typical media bullshit...according to conceptcars the new cost was $229,975.00 which is under 10 million...

Oh, and this is also a 456GT!

[Spin]

Shoulda tossed all the customs staff in the crusher and fockin killed the lot of them. The Ferrari was a work of art, a Thai customs officer on the other hand is a worthless peice of shit.

[AntRobertson]

40 million is typical media bullshit...according to conceptcars the new cost was $229,975.00 which is under 10 million...

Yeah but don't forget the taxes, they're the killer for 'exotic' cars here.

[Butterfly]

Oh, and this is also a 456GT!

another crime

[dirtydog]

Customs Department uses a bulldolzer to crush a smuggled Ferrari car on Wednesday. The department confiscated the Bt30-million car from a garage in Samut Prakarn and no one claimed ownership.

The Nation

[donmeurett]

40 million is typical media bullshit...according to conceptcars the new cost was $229,975.00 which is under 10 million...

Oh, and this is also a 456GT!

Taxes are part of the price.

[attaboy]

Did anyone check if the engine was still under the hood?

[Fabian]

Customs Department uses a bulldolzer to crush a smuggled Ferrari car on Wednesday. The department confiscated the Bt30-million car from a garage in Samut Prakarn and no one claimed ownership.

The Nation

Pretty fast lost 10 million in value.

[Spin]

Did anyone check if the engine was still under the hood?

It'll probably be in a tuk tuk by now.

[Bung]

Why didn't they just donate it to a poor farmer, it would have made a great tuk tuk! Just the thing to get back from the farm in double quick time.

[Butterfly]

They might get sue by Ferrari though,

[dirtydog]

Customs defends crushing of B40m car

Demolition of Ferrari intended as deterrent

The Customs Department has defended its decision to destroy a 40-million-baht impounded Ferrari despite a recommendation by the auditor-general to keep the car and put it to a useful purpose.

The department said that demolishing the car was intended as a deterrent against criminal scams used by gangs to legally register smuggled vehicles.

The car, with a market price tag of 40 million baht, was ordered to be crushed by an excavator at the Customs Department yesterday.

Department chief Chaowalit Sethameteekul said the smuggled grey Ferrari 456 GT was seized from a repair shop in Samut Prakan on June 28 and that no one had come forward to claim it.

However, essential components such as engine computers, exhaust pipes, wires and pumps had been removed before the car was impounded, Mr Chaowalit said. The car's actual value was not released.

He said the car had most probably been in the hands of a vehicle smuggling gang which took out the components to bring down the value of the car, left it to be impounded and planned to buy it back through a department-organised auction at a modest price.

After that, the gang would re-install the parts and reap a huge profit by selling it at market price. They would then be able to register the car with the Land Transport Department, which would make it perfectly legal, he said.

Mr Chaowalit said few people would be interested in buying the car because it had been stripped to the bone and was not in a driveable condition. A complete demolition of the car would cut off the lifeline of the gang and the flattened wreck would be sold as scrap.

After consulting with Deputy Auditor-General Pisit Leelavachiropas, he said he was sure the department was not breaking any law by destroying the sports car.

Mr Pisit said the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) did not object to the department getting rid of the Ferrari although it felt that such an expensive car could have been put to better use. The office had earlier advised the Customs Department to halt its plans to destroy the car.

A source said the OAG stepped in after private individuals brought the matter to its attention.

"We thought the car could have served a number of useful purposes. It could have been donated to a vocational school so students could learn about its engine, or it could even have been dumped into the sea as an artificial reef," said Mr Pisit.

The OAG had earlier inquired about the Customs Department's auction of another Ferrari in July. It was curious about why the department had allowed that car, which had also had its important parts removed, to be bought.

The source said that in its reply, the department explained it did not know the computer which controlled the engine had gone missing until the buyer came back to demand the department buy back the car. It was because of the buyer's complaint that the department became aware of the laundering gang.

Bangkok Post

[chitown]

Just for illustration purposes, here we have a car being laundered.

Well I never........

[AntRobertson]

The Customs Department has defended its decision to destroy a 40-million-baht impounded Ferrari despite a recommendation by the auditor-general to keep the car and put it to a useful purpose...

What, like as his weekend runabout?

[Thetyim]

He said the car had most probably been in the hands of a vehicle smuggling gang which took out the components to bring down the value of the car, left it to be impounded and planned to buy it back through a department-organised auction at a modest price.

I don't believe that destroying one car will deter the rings.
I have been to a customs auction and it is full of 'wrong' cars.
The cost to the ring is only slightly more than the container/shipping charge.
Lets say 3000 GBP. When the car is legalised here it's worth many millions. Losing a few cars will not stop them

[Spin]

He said the car had most probably been in the hands of a vehicle smuggling gang which took out the components to bring down the value of the car, left it to be impounded and planned to buy it back through a department-organised auction at a modest price.

Organised car crime in the uk used this method for years in the UK, their method was steal cars and strip them bare and then to buy the "shell" and logbook back off the insurance companies salvage department later on.
It was years before the goverment realised what was going on and introduced the marking of stripped vehicles with category C and D marks.
I can now see why they have destroyed the vehicle.

Thai customs are still a bunch of cnuts though, and yes stroller you can send me a red if you want to. I dont give a shit about you or these little red dots that dont mean anything

[mrsquirrel]

"We thought the car could have served a number of useful purposes. It could have been donated to a vocational school so students could learn about its engine, or it could even have been dumped into the sea as an artificial reef," said Mr Pisit.

What engine?

Mr Chaowalit said few people would be interested in buying the car because it had been stripped to the bone and was not in a driveable condition. .

Thais are good at this sort of stuff. A few hours work and it could have a Toyota JR-Z engine fitted no hassles. LPG tank in the back somewhere.

[SiamLover]

How fuggin' stupid. Why couldn't they sell it and use the proceeds to help needy kids or animals? Complete and utter Imbeciles...