3 arrested on smuggling charges
RASSADA: Two Thais and a Taiwanese citizen have been arrested for their involvement in smuggling cigarettes and batteries into Phuket.
The contraband, seized along with the trio in a raid by officials from the Phuket Area Excise Office (PAEO), is estimated to be worth 5 million baht, the richest smuggling seizure in five years in the province.
Led by Surat Sangnej of the PAEO, and assisted by Marine Police, the revenuers on Thursday searched a warehouse in Tambon Rassada, outside Phuket City, and uncovered 9,310 packets of Gudang Garam-brand kretek cigarettes and 8,444 ABC Power batteries.
Their investigation showed that the smuggled goods had been brought into Phuket aboard a tuna boat.
The three arrested were named as Suthawat Nupej and Thongsuk Saelee from Thailand and Lin Chih-lung from Taiwan.
