The Customs Department issued a statement saying that the internal investigation will reach a conclusion within 15 days after the agency opened a watch auction offering at least 4 counterfeit watches of luxury brands such as Rolex, Richard Mille and Patek Phillips with a total value of 9.1 million baht.
Panthong Loikulnan, spokesman for the Customs Department, apologised after a recent auction of 13 seized luxury watches found that at least 4 of the watches were counterfeit. The auction winners’ money was refunded after there were complaints about the July 6 auction.
The customs authority has already set up a committee, which will also look into the public’s suspicions as to whether these watches were already counterfeited when they were seized or whether they were subsequently falsified.
These watches were seized during a Customs operation at the Siam Square One department store. It was found that out of 14 watches, one was a counterfeit watch, while the rest were legal. As a result, Customs announced on June 28 that the authority would hold a product showcase on July 5, and announce the result on July 6. There were 18 participants in total.
“We sincerely want to take responsibility and apologize for the mistake. We are sincerely sorry for putting fake products in the auction. Customs previously verified the authenticity of the products before proceeding with the auction,” Panthong said.
Panthong added that he consulted with Customs Director General Pachara Anantasilp on adjusting the auction process to avoid similar mistakes in the future. The department is considering consulting the verification expert for inspection and will reduce the requirements in case an auction participant brings the product for external verification: Previously, the participant must turn in 25 percent of the total auction value. The department added that it will suspend the upcoming auction until it adjusts internal processes.
Kittanachai Chimsutti, one of the bidders who received the fake watch, said he trusted the organization and was disappointed. When he sent the picture of the watch for verification, he was immediately replied that it was fake. He will ask for compensation because he considers this action a missed opportunity and it hurts him to receive a fake watch.
