Police arrest weight loss pill executive for causing 4 deaths in Thailand

A dietary supplement executive was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday after four people died from taking his company’s weight loss pills.

Police arrested 50 year old Nuttawat outside a condo in the Huai Kwang district under an arrest warrant issued by Kanchanaburi Provincial Court on January 18, 2022, for, “secretly adding a substance to food, medicine or other edible products causing death,” violating the Food Act (1979).

In 2018, four people died after consuming LYN weight loss pills. An investigation revealed that the pills contained prohibited substances.

The pills contained sibutramine hydrochloride, which is an appetite suppressant that has been discontinued in many countries, and bisacodyl, which is a laxative.

Police arrested Nuttawat and other managers and the case went to court. However, Nuttawat was released on bail and never returned to the court to hear the verdict.

As Nuttawat avoided court, Kanchanaburi Provincial Court put out a warrant for his arrest on January 18 this year.

Recently, police discovered that Nuttawat was staying at a condo on Soi Pracharat Bamphen 7 in Huai Kwang and coordinated his arrest.

Nuttawat said the reason he didn’t go to court is that he was ill and was scared he was infected with Covid-19.

The accused told police that he knew nothing about the dangerous ingredients hidden in the product. He said there was one more co-executive who may have known but he died in 2021.

Police took Nuttawat to Kanchanaburi Provincial Court to face legal proceedings.

Last month, Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public against consuming Gomax Coffee, a product advertised as treating erectile dysfunction.

The FDA found that the coffee contains Sildenafil, aka Viagra, which is a controlled substance considered an unsuitable and dangerous ingredient for a food product.

Consuming Gomax Coffee can lead to blindness and heart failure warned the FDA.