2,000 fake CDs seized in Bangla

PATONG: Police this afternoon raided two stores on Soi Bangla and seized more than 2,000 copy CDs and many other imitation brand-name goods with an estimated total street value of at least 2 million baht. Led by Pol Col Chalit Thintanee, Superintendent of Kathu Police Station, officers at 2:30 pm raided the stores and arrested storeowners Kampan Sakornnitikul, 25, and Kittipob Ruengyawee, 31. Vice-Governor Pongpow Ketthong, who joined the raids, said, “Phuket residents and tourists should not buy fake goods. We are trying to eradicate them off the island as soon as possible.” The raids this afternoon followed raids in Kata last night, when officers seized fake goods with a street value of about 280,000 baht in simultaneous raids on two fake goods stalls. Officers, led by Deputy Director of Phuket Commercial Affairs, Tharadol Thongruang, moved in on one stall, near Dino Park Minigolf on Patak Rd, and seized about 1,400 fake items with a street value of about 200,000 baht. The imitation goods included clothes labeled with famous brand names Camel, Lacoste, Adidas, Oakley and Blueberry as well as 200 purses imitating Louis Vuitton, Prada and Gucci brands and 200 fake Rolex, Gucci, Rado and Christian Dior watches. At the other stall, near the Kata Beach Resort, another team of officers seized more than 80 fake purses with a street value of about 1,000 baht each. Vendors at both stalls evaded arrest. K. Tharadol told the Gazette, “We will move to arrest the stall owners as we had already warned them to stop selling imitation goods.” This week’s raids follow the seizure of pirated goods with a street value of 12 million baht from a Patong warehouse last Thursday.