The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is seeking an arrest warrant for a Malaysian man who allegedly smuggled a luxury car into the country in 2012.
The wanted suspect was identified as Balan Naidu Kanniah.
DSI director-general Paisit Wongmuang said yesterday authorities were trying to secure an arrest warrant from the court for Mr Balan.
Charges of colluding to import vehicles without paying tax will be pressed against six other Thai suspects who were found to be part of the luxury vehicle smuggling network, he said.
The investigation was conducted after the Malaysian embassy in Thailand informed Thai authorities that a Mercedes-Benz S500 car, one of six luxury vehicles damaged by fire in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district, was reported stolen in Malaysia earlier.
The DSI later confiscated the vehicle from S K T Motor Co Ltd in Prachin Buri's Ban Sang district after the probe found the assembly of the vehicle was carried out by the company.
Pol Lt Col Korrawat Panprapakorn, director of the DSI's Bureau of Regional Operation Center, said yesterday that all documents used in the registration of the vehicle were forged to evade tax.
Also, the document presented to the Customs Department indicated its auto parts were imported from Germany even though the car was allegedly brought into the country by Mr Balan .
According to the Immigration Bureau, Mr Balan brought the Mercedes-Benz into the country via the Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla province on April 4, 2012.
He was later recorded as having departed from Suvarnabhumi airport on April 7, but authorities at the Wang Prachan border checkpoint in Satun also reported his departure on April 12.
Authorities widened the probe and found alleged counterfeit vehicle invoices detailing two companies imported its engines.
The two firms were RM International Services Col Ltd, a now-defunct company with Wattana Boonyaphanit as its executive, and JMW Motors Co Ltd with Mana Sombooonsap as its executive.
The documents also indicated the vehicle's engines and body were later purchased by Siridet Wanreuk and sold to S K T Motor.
