Massive Hat Yai raid seizes 5,000+ illicit cigarette packs, 2 arrested

A major raid took place today in southern Thailand, where police, Songkhla administrative officials, and officers from the Excise Office raided a large illicit cigarette shop. The officials seized a considerable amount of contraband alongside a hefty sum of cash. The incident took place in the city of Hat Yai in Songkhla province.

The operation was headed by Chavakij Suwankiri, the District Chief Officer of Hat Yai, Mongkol Sinyang, the Administrative Head, Theeradet Junmanee, Excise Office Head, Subundit Chaiyakaew, the District Chief Officer of Preventative Works, and Kittipong Chumming, District Chief Officer of Security.

Together with the administrative authorities of Hat Yai, they collaborated with officials from the regional Excise Office and the Hat Yai Police Station to devise a plan to trap and apprehend the suspects. The surreptitious tax-evading cigarette shop had been illegally importing from an unspecified country. The shop, nameless and located on the edge of Nipat Uthit 1 Road in the urban area of Hat Yai, had only recently opened.

Upon their arrival, authorities from the Excise Department had to break into the shop as the employees refused to open the doors. The premises were cordoned off with glass from inspections inside the shop, where authorities discovered various brands of illicit cigarettes on sale. They seized 48 brands, totalling 5,036 packs of cigarettes, along with 18 cards for 46 sets of electronic cigarettes, and cash amounting to 45,090 baht (US$1308).

Two sales assistants were arrested and charged with three offences: The joint sale or possession for sale of tax-evaded goods as per the Excise Act, jointly hiding and selling goods not passed through customs, as per the Customs Act, and joint illegal sale of electronic cigarettes, under the Consumer Protection Act.

The arrest followed complaints that the shop had been secretly selling large quantities of counterfeit cigarettes and had recently opened shortly after authorities had previously raided and shut down illicit cigarette shops in Hat Yai. The officials then coordinated efforts from related agencies to set up a purchase plan to apprehend the suspects.