7 locations raided over unhygienic counterfeilt consumer goods
Police yesterday, December 1, raided a factory and several storage sites used to produce and distribute counterfeit consumer goods, seizing more than 240,000 illegal items and raw materials.
Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Economic Crime Suppression Division launched coordinated raids at seven locations in Lopburi, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani and Bangkok as part of a crackdown on fake consumer products.
The operation was triggered by earlier arrests of vendors selling low-quality soy sauce, instant coffee, MSG and other goods. The network was found placing fake labels of well-known brands on their products to deceive customers.
Investigators traced the supply chain back to the production site in Lopburi and six additional storage facilities across the central region.
During the raids, officers confiscated a large volume of evidence, including 118,100 counterfeit labels of a popular soy sauce brand, 12 boxes (144 bottles) of fake soy sauce, 1,881 empty bottles, and large mixing tanks containing ready-made soy sauce.
They also seized raw materials such as food colouring, acetic acid, sodium benzoate, 48 sacks of salt, five sacks of MSG, and soy sauce flavouring, totalling 122,333 items.
Police reported that the gang collected used bottles from leading brands, cleaned them, and refilled them with counterfeit products before distributing them to shops, particularly across the Isaan region.
Officers added that the goods were produced in extremely unhygienic conditions and did not meet safety standards. Many items had incorrect colour, smell, and quality, raising concerns over dangerous contaminants, including heavy metals or harmful substances that could affect the digestive system.
The number of suspects arrested has not yet been disclosed. They face charges under the Trademark Act and Food Act for possessing and selling products with counterfeit trademarks, producing fake food, and incorrect labelling.
The CIB urged the public and restaurant operators to exercise caution when purchasing consumer goods. They advised buyers to check the label, cap, and packaging and to purchase only from reliable sellers.
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