Smugglers' blues as cops swoop

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Smugglers' blues as cops swoop
The never-ending battle to stop illegal imports of cigarettes and booze is heating up.
By: Saritdet Marukatat and Wassayos Ngamkham
Published: 1/06/2009 at 12:00 AM
BANGKOK POST

Newspaper section: NewsA man sitting on the shore near a pier in the southern province of Satun may look and act like a fisherman - but he could well be a lookout for smugglers.


 
Cartons of smuggled cigarettes are kept in a warehouse after being seized by customs officials. Smugglers transport the items through ports in small provinces where they think they can more easily avoid capture. SOMCHAI POOMLARD
Customs deputy director-general Somchai Poolsavasdi said the "fisherman" could be hired by smugglers to keep an eye on the department's speed boats.

Once a customs boat heads out to sea, he would immediately call them, said Mr Somchai, who is in charge of enforcement.

He said attempts by customs officials to crack down on smugglers bringing in cigarettes, wine and Scotch whisky often amounted to a game of cat and mouse.

Smugglers are cunning in their means of avoiding arrest and often their goods come into the country undetected. So authorities have to constantly come up with new tactics to stop them.

For many years, whenever strangers entered an area, smugglers - suspecting the newcomers might be customs officials - would cease their illegal operations until the strangers left town.

The work was difficult, especially in a small city like Satun, Mr Somchai said. The city is so small that "even when a pin drops, everybody can hear the sound and know who owns it".

So the department changed its strategy by sending officers to Satun who would live there for months before beginning their operations. Only a few local agencies would be aware of their presence.

Smugglers countered these measures by employing new tactics such as hiring people to watch the department vessels to make sure their illicit business would not be disrupted.

"We knew that he was not a fisherman but we could not arrest him. He did nothing illegal," Mr Somchai said.

Illegally imported brand-name cigarettes cost the country more than 5 billion baht in lost tax revenues, Deputy Finance Minister Pruektichai Damrongrut said.

The smugglers' main markets are Bangkok and other big cities where there is a demand for cheap high-end brands.

See also: Smokers undeterred
Smuggling was previously rife on the eastern provinces of the Gulf of Thailand but it was not as widespread now, Mr Somchai said. The main concern was in the southern regions, particularly in Satun.

Once cartons of cigarette are ashore, they are moved to pickup trucks or lorries heading for Bangkok.

The department has 300 law enforcement officers based in Bangkok in addition to those in border areas and about 1,000 checkpoints across the country to detect contraband. Vehicles travelling to Bangkok from southern provinces are intercepted at a Customs Department checkpoint in Pran Buri district in Prachuap Khiri Khan, where vehicles suspected of carrying illegal imports are randomly scanned.

Demand for foreign cigarettes, wine and whisky is always high around April and December, when people prepare for long vacations and celebrations of the traditional and international new year festivals. Other smuggled cigarettes include fake local brands, especially Krong Thip, made in Cambodia. These are aimed at smokers upcountry loyal to Thai brands, he said. The main gateway for incoming fake cigarettes is Sa Kaeo.

As the government has raised "sin taxes", smokers have to pay about 15 baht more for a pack. Officials are concerned that high local prices could encourage smokers to seek smuggled cigarettes.

But Mr Somchai said low or high taxes would have no effect on this problem as smuggled foreign cigarettes have always had a specific consumer target.

The deputy department chief said the problem would never end as long as there was demand and supply. All they could do is arrest smugglers and seize the contraband. However, he admitted it was difficult to snare the ringleaders.

"We know who they are - but we don't have the evidence to arrest them," he said.