Cars worth B120m seized from accused gold-fraud couple

Consumer protection police have impounded luxury vehicles worth about 120 million in total owned by gold retailers Mae Tuck and Pa Bia, who are accused of fraud.
Pol Maj Gen Withaya Sriprasertparp, commander of the Consumer Protection Police Division, said four luxury vehicles were seized at premises in Ram Intra area of Bangkok and at a company in Nong Sua district of Pathum Thani on Tuesday. 
The seizures were related to the case involving Kornkanok “Mae Tuck” Suwannabut, 37, and her husband Kanpon Rueang-aram, 35, aka Pa Bia.
Customers have complained to police that the couple had sold them impure adornments they were led to believe were pure gold.
Impounded on Tuesday were a Porche 911 Carrera S Coupe, a Lamborghini, a Ford Mustang Ecoboost Fastback and a Volkswagen Caravelle T69 van. Police also seized two Toyota pickup trucks and five motorcycles. The vehicles had an estimated total value of 50 million baht. 
Pol Maj Gen Withaya said police had earlier impounded five other luxury vehicles owned by the couple. The vehicles’ combined value was about 120 million baht.
He said police now had all the luxury vehicles the couple had displayed on social media. The couple had also shown what appeared to be other luxury vehicles in their social media posts, but the photos had just been altered to make the same vehicles look different.
Investigators had also frozen about 24 million baht in cash held in the couple’s company bank accounts, he said. Title to nine houses and 16 blocks of land was also being investigated, along with their ownership of luxury watches worth 28.7 million baht.
Police have expanded the investigation to include the actors, actresses and internet influencers who promoted the couple’s sales of gold adornments.
Ms Kornkanok and Mr Kanpon were arrested on Sept 30 and their detention period ends on Nov 2. Pol Maj Gen Withaya said police hoped to wrap up their investigation before then.