Thai ministers seize illegal e-cigarettes worth 33 million baht
Three ministers announced the seizure of over 200,000 illegally imported e-cigarette items from China, valued at 33 million baht. The confiscated goods included disposable e-cigarettes, e-liquids, and vape pods.
Yesterday, March 10, Police Colonel Thavee Sodsong, the Justice Minister, Jiraphon Sinthuprai, the Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, and Chulaphan Amornwiwat, Deputy Finance Minister, along with Police Lieutenant Colonel Yuthana Praedam, Director General of the Department of Special Investigation, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Anurak Rojanirankit, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation, visited Laem Chabang Port Customs Office.
The visit was hosted by Teerach Atanavanich, Director General of the Customs Department, Direk Kacharak, Deputy Director General of the Customs Department, and Wut Rengpradungtong, Director of Laem Chabang Port Customs Office.
This operation followed the collaboration between the Department of Special Investigation, the Customs Department, and the Royal Thai Police, which resulted in the inspection of transit goods in shipping containers.
Some 210,300 items were discovered, comprising disposable e-cigarettes, e-liquids, and vape pods, with a combined value of over 33 million baht (US$973,940).
The seizure violated the Customs Act of 2017 and was prohibited under the Ministry of Commerce’s 2016 announcement on banned goods across the kingdom.
This was further supported by the Ministry’s 2014 declaration categorising hookahs, electric hookahs, and e-cigarettes as prohibited imports.
Additionally, the Customs Department’s Notification No. 185/2021, dated December 1, 2021, details electronic transit procedures at border points, reported KhaoSod.
The confiscated items will be appraised by the Customs Department to inform responsible agencies for legal proceedings.
The Department of Special Investigation will expedite investigations and extend inquiries to identify users and supporters, enforcing relevant laws and special measures decisively.
This aims to effectively prevent, suppress, and address the spread of e-cigarettes, yielding tangible results.
In similar news, Bangkok Metropolitan Police, alongside officers from Phetkasem Police Station, raided an illegal e-cigarette warehouse in Bangkok’s Bang Khae district, seizing contraband worth over 30 million baht.
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