US complaint leads to raid on Patong pirate shops

PHUKET: A United States Embassy complaint led to officers seizing more than 4 million baht worth of fake, copyrighted goods in Patong yesterday.

Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) Division 4 stormed 12 shops in the Patong area, rounding up pirated brand name bags, glasses, clothes and shoes. However, shop owners managed to evade arrest.

“We received a complaint from the US Embassy that name brand companies were upset about the number of pirated goods being sold in Patong,” said Lt Col Pratheep Choosri of the Economic Crime Suppression Division 4.

“We found most of the shops on Soi Bangla and Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road.

“We are now hunting down the shop owners.”

The maximum penalty for selling pirated goods is four years imprisonment, a 400,000-baht fine or both.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong