Shop owner in Khlong Luang arrested for selling e-cigarettes to students
Crackdown exposes hidden vape trade targeting local teens
Officials in Khlong Luang apprehended a shop owner who was allegedly using her grocery store as a front to sell e-cigarettes to students.
The arrest followed complaints from parents yesterday, May 26. Apisara Kesinth, the district chief of Khlong Luang, directed Amornritthiphon Kheawrungruphet, the district security officer, along with volunteers from the Territorial Defence Volunteers, to investigate the allegations after a local school reported students using e-cigarettes on campus.
The investigation, which included undercover surveillance, led to the capture of one suspect involved in two separate cases. The suspect was accused of selling e-cigarettes and smuggled cigarettes under the guise of a grocery store.
Following the arrest, the suspect faced charges of concealing, distributing, and receiving goods known to be related to an offence, in violation of Sections 242 and 246 of the Customs Act 2017.
Additionally, the suspect was charged with selling or providing e-cigarettes and related products in defiance of the Consumer Protection Board’s Order No. 24/2024, which prohibits the production and sale of such items. This coordinated effort involved the Pathum Thani Excise Office.
Evidence seized included one disposable e-cigarette device purchased during the sting operation, a photocopy of a 500 baht (US$15) note used in the operation, one pod, one device, 73 disposable devices, and 460 packs of foreign and export cigarettes, reported KhaoSod.
Officials from Khlong Luang District and the Pathum Thani Excise Office documented the arrest and handed over the suspect and evidence to investigators at the local police station for legal proceedings.
In similar news, a cannabis store on Pattaya Beach Road was uncovered as a cover for selling illegal vapes and imported cigarettes during a police raid.
Officers from Pattaya Police and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) searched the Dr Weed shop in the busy resort area, discovering 110 disposable vape devices and 216 packs of foreign tobacco concealed inside. The confiscated items are valued at around 60,000 baht.
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