The Ministry of Industry has filed an additional complaint with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) against an Ang Thong-based fuel trading firm suspected of hoarding and falsifying records in violation of a prime ministerial order during the fuel crisis in March.
Trillion Petrotrading Co Ltd is accused of failing to report oil import and export volumes as required under the prime ministerial order issued on March 20.
Thitipas Chotidetchaichanan, head of the ministry’s Sud Soi (“all the way”) task force, said investigators found the company failed to submit mandatory daily fuel movement reports six times in March and 14 times in April, totalling 20 violations. Each offence carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Authorities also uncovered irregularities involving fuel transport documents. While Trillion Petrotrading conducted oil transactions with Global Well Oil 1985 Co Ltd, transport manifests were allegedly issued instead by Pan Asia Storage and Terminal Co Ltd.
Investigators said Pan Asia shares directors and shareholders with Trillion Oil Co Ltd, which owns Pan Asia’s oil depot, along with several other depots in Samut Prakan, Phetchaburi, Chiang Rai, Phitsanulok and Chachoengsao.
The Sud Soi team believes the companies are operated by the same family and directors with similar business practices.
Ms Thitipas said the DSI had previously described Trillion Petrotrading’s arrangement as resembling a nominee structure, in which external individuals are used as proxy directors. One company director, identified only as Udom, was also found listed as a truck driver for a fuel transport company linked to the network.
She added that investigators in Chiang Rai had discovered another connected company had issued 662 incomplete fuel transport documents and violated the prime ministerial order. The DSI is expected to expand the investigation, particularly into the identities of those controlling the network.
