North Thailand: Police seize 66,000 smuggled e-cigarettes

Police seized 66,000 smuggled e-cigarettes valued at over 15 million baht from a warehouse in Mueang, Uttaradit, northern Thailand.

The Thai Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) and other relevant agencies announced the successful operation during a press conference yesterday.

CPPD officers had been investigating illegal online e-cigarette sellers who targeted juveniles by disguising the products as cartoon characters. These toy-like e-cigarettes were designed to deceive guardians and appeal to young buyers.

Investigative officers contacted the sellers and traced their financial transactions, revealing that the e-cigarette operation generated over 10 million baht monthly. Sellers reportedly communicated with clients via online platforms, making it challenging for police to track them.

To evade arrest, the suspects had relocated their warehouses multiple times over the past two to three months. Despite these efforts, the CPPD successfully tracked down the current location in Mueang, Uttaradit, containing 66,000 units of e-cigarettes and other related equipment, valued at over 15 million baht.

The prime suspect, identified as Jakkawan, was apprehended based on a criminal court arrest and search warrant for illegally selling prohibited products, including e-cigarettes and related equipment, reported Pattaya News.

“The suspects’ strategy of relocating warehouses frequently made it difficult for us to pinpoint their operations.”

Police emphasised the importance of protecting children from such harmful products.

“We want to warn parents to be vigilant about these disguised e-cigarettes.”

In related news, residents in the central province of Saraburi expressed outrage after a 17 year old Thai mother allowed her one year old son to vape and consume what she claimed was a kratom drink. Disturbingly, she reportedly seemed proud of this inappropriate behaviour and even shared it on social media.

In other news, police conducted an operation on June 26 to track down and arrest two young individuals for selling illegal cough syrup and e-cigarettes through Facebook, with one suspect admitting to using the money to support his family.