Man caught smuggling fuel hidden under ice in Kanchanaburi

A man was arrested in Sangkhla Buri district of Kanchanaburi for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1,260 litres of gasohol, cleverly concealed beneath a cargo of ice, across the border into Myanmar.

Acting on a tip-off about a fuel-smuggling syndicate, the 9th Infantry Division and the Surasee Task Force coordinated with Kanchanaburi Governor Warittha Sanguansermsri to tighten security along the frontier.

At 7.10pm yesterday, a combined unit of the Lat Ya Task Force, Sangkhla Buri police and customs officials stopped a white Toyota Revo pickup truck approaching the Nam Klerk checkpoint in Nong Lu sub-district.

The driver, identified as 43-year-old Mongkol Wongmanee, a resident of Sangkhla Buri, reportedly behaved suspiciously during the stop. A search of the vehicle’s flatbed revealed 42 containers of gasohol hidden under a layer of ice sacks.

During preliminary questioning, the suspect admitted purchasing 30 gallons of fuel from a filling station in Sangkhla Buri at 60 baht per litre, and another 12 gallons from a local service station. The fuel was to be smuggled via natural border crossings for resale in Myanmar at 100 baht per litre.

Authorities seized the fuel, the vehicle and two mobile phones as evidence. The suspect has been handed over to Sangkhla Buri police and faces charges under the Customs Act B.E. 2560 for attempting to export restricted goods without proper authorisation.