Songkhla customs seize illegal cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and hookah
Massive bust uncovers smuggled tobacco products in courier shipment
Region 4 Customs has ramped up crackdowns on smuggled tobacco products, confiscating over 4 million baht worth of illegal cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and hookah supplies from a private courier in Songkhla.
Between August 16 and August 31, officers from the Region 4 investigative and enforcement teams, special task forces, Hat Yai Airport Customs, and Songkhla enforcement units carried out targeted inspections to stop smuggling and enforce customs laws.
Officials discovered 520,000 foreign cigarettes worth 2.6 million baht (US$80,490) and 6,241 e-cigarettes and accessories valued at 1.485 million baht (US$45,975). None of the cigarettes had tax stamps, and the shipments lacked legal import documentation.
E-cigarettes and hookah products are banned under the Ministry of Commerce’s 2014 announcement due to health risks and threats to public safety and social order.
The seized goods were confiscated under Section 166 of the Customs Act, 2017, with potential legal action under Sections 242, 245, 246, and 247. Section 167 allowed police to seize the contraband immediately for further legal proceedings.
Since 1 October 2024, Region 4 Customs has seized illegal tobacco and related products valued at 76.1 million baht (approximately US$2.36 million).
This includes 13.2 million foreign cigarettes across 177 cases worth 61.5 million baht (US$1.91 million), 86,000 e-cigarettes and accessories across 46 cases worth 13.8 million baht (US$429,000), and 331 kilograms of hookah tobacco across 5 cases worth 794,000 baht (US$25,000), reported Matichon.
In similar news, Bangkok police raided a warehouse hiding thousands of illegal e-cigarettes allegedly meant for underage buyers, seizing 7,000 devices worth over 3 million baht (US$93,000) and arresting a 29 year old Thai man, Chayut.
The bust took place on July 23 after officers received a tip-off about a rented property in the Nong Bon subdistrict, Prawet district, being used to stash illicit vapes. A search warrant uncovered the massive stockpile, believed to be bound for children and teenagers.
Chayut told police the products were not his, claiming he had been hired by a Chinese national to rent the property for 35,000 baht (US$1,090) a month and manage transactions. He now faces charges of possessing and distributing smuggled goods without customs clearance.
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