Khao Lak crackdown – more than 300 counterfeit items seized
The Economic Crime Police together with the Department of Intellectual Property Officials have arrested counterfeit retailers in Khao Lak, Phang Nga, yesterday (December 17) after the retailers had been in business for 10 years. Officials from more than 20 government departments are also alleged to be involved in bribery.
At the scene, an alien worker who was offering products to tourists ran away to the back of the shop after seeing the team. They found a list of counterfeit items such as bags, sunglasses, clothes, loudspeakers and earphones.
59 year old Rinya Suriwan was arrested with 47 counterfeit Ray-Ban sunglasses, 37 year old Boonrom Parakang was arrested with 16 fake Tiffany & Co necklaces and bracelets, a 38 year old Myanmar worker, Ti Ka Ram, was arrested with 24 counterfeit Nike pieces and 23 Adidas articles of clothings while the team also seized counterfeit products from other shops where the owners and their workers fled, including 74 clothes without a brand, 54 earphones and loud speakers, 67 caps and 67 bags. There were more than 10 shops in the same area.
The police received a report that there were counterfeit products available in this business district of Khaolak for more than 10 years. After the arrest, the police sent them all to Khao Lak Police Station for possessing and trading counterfeit products, which carries a maximum 4 years penalty or maximum 400,000 Baht fine, or both.
The local news source reports that there are about a thousand illegal alien workers working in this business while there are alleged officials from more than 20 government departments collecting bribes totaling millions of Baht per month.
