Illegal pork smuggling operation busted in Bangkok, Thai DSI raids business properties
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) launched a raid on a prominent company in Bangkok, hunting down two investors behind the sale of illegal pork. The police discovered around 200 kilogrammes of illegal pork contraband.
The raid followed a DSI investigation into an illegal pork smuggling operation importing carcasses, particularly frozen pork, into Thailand illegally. The case began in 2021 and continues to the present, with sufficient evidence to call in the suspects and press charges against those importing frozen pork, both as corporations and as individuals, rounding up to an initial six individuals.
The DSI operations resulted in raiding two central Bangkok locations, attempting to gather further evidence before incorporating it into the existing case. The investigation stemmed from the arrest of six individuals involved with a private shipping company, thus leading to the discovery of this company’s financial transactions and documents.
The company was found to be responsible for paying a private shipping firm to order frozen pork for import into Thailand via customs, falsely declaring the product as frozen food.
During the initial inspection, the company’s premises were found to be a commercial building selling various types of frozen meat and offal. It was also discovered that the back of the building was equipped for slicing frozen meat, and refrigerators were installed within the building.
However, the DSI officials failed to locate the building owner, who was subsequently asked to meet the investigators within an hour, reported KhaoSod.
The DSI officials then proceeded to inspect a second location, a four-story commercial building approximately 100 metres away from the first building. This building functioned as an office and also had a cold storage unit for illegal pork smuggling at the back.
Some company employees were present during the search, and the DSI officials, along with forensic experts, were brought in to collect documents and frozen meat samples. These samples were to be examined to determine whether they were related to the DSI’s ongoing case.
DSI Director Suraya Singkhakamon revealed that the company raided today is associated with about 21 containers out of a total of 161. Apart from the import of the aforementioned pork, it was discovered that there is an ongoing operation smuggling illicit pork into Laem Chabang Port.
