Malai district checkpoint authority and Border Police Unit 815 in Banteay Meanchey province detained a truck loaded with motorbikes transported from Thailand without proper tax documentation.

The motorbikes were temporarily impounded by officials at Malai checkpoint customs authority.

Border Police Unit 815 commander Suong Sao, who took part in the seizure, told The Post on Tuesday that at around 11:20am on Sunday, his team in charge of Malai checkpoint intercepted a white Hino truck carrying a Thai license plate and loaded with 44 high-end motorbikes without tax documentation.

They included 20 Honda Clicks and 24 of the 2019 Honda Scoopy models.

After police detained the truck and asked for proper import documents, the driver, a Thai national, said he was simply a truck driver delivering goods and did not have any documents.

“Afterwards, the truck driver said that a Cambodian woman, the real owner the motorbikes, had all documents and that she was on the way.”

“The police confiscated the delivery truck and motorbikes. They will be kept at Malai checkpoint for the owners to collect after [paying the tax] in accordance with legal procedures,” Sao said.

No documents

Malai district checkpoint regional head Chea Seng An told The Post on Sunday that the owner of the motorbikes, known as Un Theary, 32, and lives in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district, came to his office and requested the motorbikes be sent to her Phnom Penh depot.

Theary said the motorbikes had the import documents and paid customs duties, but was not able to produce them.

“She just verbally claimed that she had all the proper paperwork, but did not show us any of the documents as proof. Therefore, we did not allow her to take the motorbikes back.”

“I contacted the head at the Malai customs office, Neth Chantha, to confirm. He told me that he was not aware of this."

Acting in accordance with the Banteay Meanchey provincial prosecutor’s guidance, I sent the case and confiscated truck and motorbikes to Neth Chantha, who is expected to take further action.”

Chantha could not be reached for comment.