Bangkok: Police from the Economic Crime Suppression Division and officials from the Revenue Department have successfully launched operation "Anti-ghost bill - dismantling the fake bill network and recovering national taxes," leading to the recovery of over 360 million baht in taxpayer money. This extensive operation has uncovered a fraudulent billing network that has inflicted significant financial damage on the country.

According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Maj. Gen. Tatsapoom Jarupraj, Commander of the Economic Crime Suppression Division, exposed the intricate methods employed by this criminal syndicate. The gang utilized a private Line group to connect with a select clientele and advertised fake tax invoices. To enhance their credibility, they established a company to act as a fa§ade for billing transactions, while using dummy accounts for customer payments to evade police detection. The fraudulent activity resulted in damages amounting to 360 million baht.

The investigation commenced following a complaint filed by the Revenue Department. In response, the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECSD) police and the Revenue Department initiated a joint investigation, conducting two sting operations to gather evidence. This led to the issuance of arrest warrants by the Central Tax Court for three suspects, alongside search warrants for associated residences and companies across 10 locations in five provinces: Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Samut Prakan, and Chaiyaphum on August 11th. Consequently, all three suspects were apprehended, accused of issuing and utilizing false tax invoices and operating as escrow accounts. Authorities confiscated over 200 pieces of evidence, including electronic devices, accounting documents, tax reports, money transfer records, bank books, and company seals.

The fraudulent invoices were marketed to businesses nationwide, particularly targeting high-income sectors such as construction and oil companies. These businesses used the fake invoices to claim expenses and reduce their tax liabilities. The operation was marked by meticulous efforts to conceal illegal activities, including using dummy accounts for transactions, acquiring assets under false names, and discreetly dispatching fake invoices via third-party envelopes. The primary targets were high-income construction and oil companies, resulting in extensive economic damage. Authorities plan further legal actions against additional individuals involved in the scheme.

Investigations further revealed that the three implicated companies shared common ownership, with branches spread across the five provinces where searches were conducted. Although these companies had been illicitly selling fake invoices for five years, they were officially registered in the energy and solar cell sectors. Despite reporting annual revenues of 400 million baht, their declared profits were significantly lower, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht, resulting in considerably reduced tax payments.

Regarding the fees for buying and selling invoices, the involved companies charged a percentage of the invoice's value, though officials have withheld these details to deter potential copycat crimes.

With damages exceeding 360 million baht, police are currently tracing the financial pathways and expanding their investigation to identify additional participants. Should further individuals or companies be implicated, additional legal proceedings will be pursued.

Moreover, the proliferation of fake tax invoices poses a substantial threat to the Thai economy, as it enables certain businesses to leverage forged documents to decrease their tax obligations, leading to significant revenue losses for the government.