Bangkok warehouse raid uncovers thousands of smuggled drones
Cyber police and relevant officials raided two locations in Bangkok yesterday, March 26, as part of an operation dubbed “Crack down Drone outlaws”, seizing more than 2,500 drones smuggled into Thailand and sold online.
According to police, the searches were carried out under a Min Buri Criminal Court warrant linked to the suspected illegal sale of drones, or unmanned aircraft, on social media platforms.
Though two locations were searched, reports only provided details of one of the sites.
One of the locations was a large warehouse in Thap Yao, Lat Krabang, which officers said was used to store a range of imported goods from China. Items found included general household products, food and various electronic devices.
During the search, officers seized multiple drone models believed to have been imported illegally, with a total of more than 2,500 units and an estimated value of over 5 million baht.
An investigation by the Cyber Crime Investigation Division 4 found a group of drone sellers had allegedly smuggled drones from overseas and distributed them widely through social media.
Officials said the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand (NBTC) Region 1 had information about online shops selling drones and coordinated with major online platform providers before the raids, leading to the seizure of the items.
All seized drones, police said, would be held for examination as investigators work to identify those involved in importing the goods and pursue legal action.
They said the case could fall under the Radio Communications Act B.E. 2498 (1955), which prohibits making, possessing, using, importing, exporting or trading radio communications equipment without permission. Penalties can include a fine of up to 100,000 baht, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
Khaosod reported that police also cited the Customs Act provision covering concealing, selling, transporting, buying, pawning or holding goods believed to have entered or left the Kingdom without completing customs procedures.
Investigators said most of the goods appeared to have been imported from China and noted that warehouse staff could speak Chinese. Officials suspect that Chinese nationals may have been involved and said they would review system records to trace who the drones were sold to.
Police warned that buyers who obtained drones without the required permissions could also face legal consequences, as drones are considered radio communications equipment and require authorisation from the NBTC.
In a separate incident, a raid in Samut Prakan uncovered more than 160,000 fake face masks and counterfeit cosmetics being sold online. The Central Investigation Bureau searched a warehouse in Bang Sao Thong after linking it to a major counterfeiting operation, seizing Welcare-branded masks and other fake cosmetic products.
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