Bangkok Botox bust: Police pinch counterfeit ring, seize millions

Bangkok police recently dismantled a major counterfeit Botox production ring, distributing fake beauty products via online platforms, seizing over 26,000 items worth more than 9 million baht.

A press conference was held yesterday, July 11, at the Pracha-arak Building of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). Police Major General Wichaya Sreeprasert, alongside multiple CIB officers, revealed the crackdown on a counterfeit Botox manufacturing hub, which supplied beauty clinics nationwide.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Nchirakrit Thongjinda explained that there has been a significant surge in the illegal sale of injectable beauty products such as Botox and various vitamins on online platforms. This prompted a thorough investigation, leading officers to locations in Bueng Kum and Lat Phrao districts, where the counterfeit products were being produced and stored.

Upon inspection, police discovered a large number of beauty products, medical devices, and raw materials used for illegal production. The investigation revealed that the operation was orchestrated by an individual known in the beauty industry as Phat or Ploysai. The production took place in her residential property, which doubled as a front for a legitimate cosmetics distribution company.

The ring operated out of two main locations. One residential house served as the production site, while another house, set up as a company, handled packaging and storage. Both properties were situated in upscale neighbourhoods to avoid suspicion. The counterfeit products were then sold primarily through the Line application, targeting beauty clinics across the country.

Phat or Ploysai created exclusive groups online to facilitate transactions, inviting specific buyers. For genuine injectable vitamins, the store shipped directly to the customers.

The counterfeit products were first manufactured by an employee at a house in Bueng Kum. Upon completion, the items were sent to another location in Lat Phrao, where another worker packaged the fake drugs, added labels, and prepared them for distribution.

Those arrested in this operation face multiple charges under the Drug Act, Medical Device Act, and Cosmetics Act, totalling seven offences. Pol. Maj. Gen. Wichaya urged the public to verify the authorisation of health products on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website before making a purchase, reported KhaoSod.