Illegal kratom and cigarette ring busted in Bangkok
Three young people were apprehended today in the Thon Buri district of Bangkok for operating an illicit business involving the sale of contraband cigarettes and kratom juice mixed with cough syrup. The operation yielded daily earnings of nearly 10,000 baht.
Police Major General Thathapoom Charupradit, head of the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECS), directed Police Colonel Naruepol Karuna and Police Lieutenant Colonel Wannalap Rattanawong to conduct a raid, today, March 18, armed with a warrant from the Thon Buri Criminal Court.
The search targeted an unnumbered commercial building in Soi Inthraphithak 3, Bang Yi Ruea subdistrict, Thon Buri district, following reports that a group of youths rented the premises for illegal sales of contraband cigarettes and kratom juice laced with cough syrup.
The raid led to the arrest of 23 year old Junlasap, 22 year old Kittisak, and 20 year old Thanatip, all surnames withheld.
Confiscated items included 2,800 packs of illegally imported cigarettes, 1,930 bottles of various cough syrups, 30 bottles of kratom juice mixed with cough syrup, kratom leaves, and equipment used for brewing.
During interrogation, the suspects admitted to smuggling foreign cigarettes to sell at prices lower than the market rate. They sold kratom juice for 80 to 100 baht (US$2.3 to 3) per bottle, generating an average income of 7,000 to 8,000 baht (US$208 to 240) daily.
Their clientele mostly comprised teenagers on motorcycles, with about 40 to 50 buyers per day. Transactions were discreet, conducted through a small door opening to avoid detection, reported KhaoSod.
The suspects were handed over to the investigation unit of the ECS Division 2 for prosecution under the Customs Act for concealing and distributing goods not cleared through customs, and for violations under the Food Act of 1979 as per the Ministry of Public Health’s announcement.
In similar news, police from Investigation Division 1 raided a dual-purpose venue that operated as a grill restaurant while secretly selling e-cigarettes and bottled kratom juice.
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