Benz Racing's Lambo to go under the hammer

This Lamborghini will go under the auctioneer's hammer. It was found at a garage in Ram-intra area early in February. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

A Lamborghini supercar and two luxury motorcycles seized from a celebrity husband accused of money laundering will be auctioned off by the Narcotics Suppression Bureau this Sunday.

The vehicles will be among 156 items worth about 40 million baht the bureau will put up for auction, beginning at 10am, to relieve it of the the burden of storing and maintaining them.

Items to go under the hammer will include 76 gold ornaments, 25 motorcycles and 51 cars.

The cars include a Lamborghini Gallardo, a KTM 1290 Super Duke motorbike and a BMW motorcycle impounded from Akarakit "Benz Racing" Worarojcharoendet, 30-year-old husband of actress Napapa "Patt" Tantrakul.

The starting price for bids for the supercar will be 12 million baht, and 1 million baht for the KTM and 650,000 baht for the BMW motorcycle.

Mr Akarakit was charged with money laundering after he was unable to properly explain his acquisition of the luxury vehicles.

Police found the man's income from his bike accessories shop was not enough to afford the 20-million-baht Lamborghini, believed to be linked to the network of Lao drug kingpin Xaysana Keopimpha.

Mr Akarakit's financial records showed he had to pay 250,000 baht in monthly installments for the Lamborghini.

Investigators also found 300,000 baht had been wired to his account each month by Natthaphol "Boy" Nakkham, one of the suspects in the Xaysana case. They suspected Mr Natthaphol wired the money to Mr Akarakit's account to help him pay for the car, giving him the extra as payment for posing as the owner, instead of Mr Natthaphol.

The luxury car was legally imported. The previous owner was a Songkhla resident who sold the vehicle to a used-car outlet via Kiatnakin Bank leasing, according to police.

The vehicle was again sold to a similar vehicle outlet, Buono Auto Clinic, on Rama III Road, where Mr Akarakit purchased the car via Ratchthani Leasing Plc, a leasing firm for Lamborghini enthusiasists.

Mr Natthaphol was arrested on Feb 1, almost two weeks after police apprehended Mr Xaysana at Suvarnabhumi airport on Jan 19 when he arrived on a flight from Phuket.

Based on Mr Natthaphol's earlier testimony, police said the Lamborghini belonged to the drug network but was left in the care of Mr Akarakit.