Bangkok: Central Investigation Bureau police raided and arrested two directors of an engine import-export company after they colluded to issue a massive amount of fake tax invoices to supply secondhand goods dealers, causing over 1.2 billion baht in damages to the state.

According to Thai News Agency, police from the Technology Crime Suppression Division apprehended Mr. Thanom, 51, at a university parking lot in Bangkok, and Mr. Suebsakul, 55, at his residence in Klaeng District, Rayong Province. They face charges of jointly issuing tax invoices without authorization. This follows an investigation by the Revenue Department, which discovered that a car and engine import and export company located in the Lat Phrao area, where the two individuals were authorized signatories, had been issuing invoices irregularly to numerous secondhand goods dealers from 2014 to 2016. This activity resulted in approximately 1.2 billion baht in VAT and fines.

Officials sent a letter requesting the directors to come forward and provide clarification, but their company ignored the request. Further inspection revealed that the company was closed, with no products or employees present, leading to the belief that the business did not actually operate. Instead, it is suspected that the company fraudulently issued tax invoices to other companies for tax credit purposes. Initially, both suspects denied the charges.