The allegation was made today following the arrests on Friday (August 3) of two Thai men by officials of the Marine Customs Investigation (MCI) and Suppression Bureau and the Thailand Marine Enforcement Coordinating Center, after they were found transferring 30,000 litres of smuggled fuel oil from an oil vessel to an oil truck in Baan Bor Muang Pier in Krabi.
The two, a steersman Boonpeng Promjuea and a truck driver Authachai Homsab, admitted to officers that they were hired by a Thai “investor” to move the untaxed fuel oil, valued at B8 million.
The 50,000-litre-capacity oil tanker and the truck were shown to the press today (August 6) at Phuket Deep Sea Port.
The Chief of MCI region 4, Jirapun Junpetch, said it was not clear at this stage if the owner of the tender was involved in fuel oil smuggling. Officers are now investigating the origin of the oil tanker and where the oil came from.
A detective who asked not to be named told The Phuket News that politicians and influential people were believed to be involved in the smuggling.
He added that officers’ attempts to eradicate oil smuggling have been obstructed by these influential people, which had resulted in tankers full of smuggled oil sailing unhindered about the Andaman Sea.