Foreigner Detained For Selling Shisha Tobacco

[george]

INTENT TO SELL BANNED SUBSTANCE:

Egyptian nabbed with illegal tobacco

BANGKOK: -- An Egyptian man has been arrested for allegedly smuggling banned hookah tobacco with the intent to sell, immigration police said yesterday.

Acting on a tip off, police apprehended Mamdouh Salem, 32, in Soi Nana on Thursday afternoon. A search of his two travelling bags found 60 kg of a special tobacco blend for hookahs (water smoking pipes) known as shisha, said Police Lt-General Chanwut Watcharapuk, commissioner of the Immigration Division. The seized shisha was worth about Bt130,000.

According to Chanwut, the suspect told police that he had come to Thailand many times with smuggled tobacco. He sold the tobacco to foreign customers in Soi Nana for Bt300 per 20 grams.

The Public Health Ministry has banned shisha amid concerns of increased cigarette addiction among youths. Those in possession face a fine of 10 times the price, sellers 15 times the price.

--The Nation 2004-06-05

[tuky]

Is it just tobacco? or is this stuff a narcotic?

[splitlid]

Is it just tobacco? or is this stuff a narcotic?

[penzman]

Hi Tukyleith!

I once asked on this forum what people were smoking in the shisha pipes. I was told it was flavored tobacco. Unless it's ganchaa flavored , I can't see where the problem is. It may not be a narcotic substance and because it's not a Thai tobacco and it was imported illegaly it then is prohibited.

see http://www.hookahinfo.com/Hookah-Tobacco.html

[stroll]

It is not a narcotic, it is flavored tobaco, similar to pipe tobaco, but more moist. Tastes a bit like a warm artificially flavored pop drink, or like a barbecued raspberry candy.

You've guessed it, it hasn't caught on with me...

[PvtDick]

The problem is that he was smuggling it into the country without paying customs duties, which on tobacco products are quite high.

[konangrit]

According to Chanwut, the suspect told police that he had come to Thailand many times with smuggled tobacco. He sold the tobacco to foreign customers in Soi Nana for Bt300 per 20 grams.

What techniques do Thai police use to extract these confessions? I can't imagine he would freely admit to previously commiting this crime many times without some sort of incentive. Seems to me that a far higher percentage of criminals in Thailand readily admit their guilt than would in a western country. Do they get a lesser sentance, or am I just being naive and it's simply beat out of them?

I've not really heard anything about police brutality in Thailand, and fortunately have never had the chance to find out from personal experience. Thai newspapers aren't exactly renowned for their investigative journalism, especially when it comes to criminals in custody.

[extreme]

he wont be charged for previous stuff so it dont really matter, its only tax evasion and a minor infringment of thai law.

[konangrit]

Still, why admit to commiting crimes that the police have no knowledge of? Anyway, even though this is a fairly minor crime, the above question still stands for more serious crimes such as dealing in real narcotics.

[highlander]

Cos he's a <deleted>

[PvtDick]

A guilty plea will almost always reduce one's fine and/or jail sentence, which is why I suspect so many crooks spill the beans -- especially when they've been caught fairly red-handed. You're right, though -- there's no incentive to fess up about past crimes the cops didn't know about.

[konangrit]

Ok thanks Pvt, that explains a lot. Lesser sentance for pleading guilty.

[stroll]

I have been wondering about the same thing, the Egyptian was clearly not the brightest of people, but how come Thais confess, even demonstrate in detail for the record, what no interrogation in Western countries could extract? I suspect there is more to it than meets the eye, they probably know what to expect while in custody if uncooperative?

[mbkudu]

This subject comes up in one of Christopher G. Moore's books; I think it's

Saint Anne, but I'm not sure. It definitely is a 'Thai justice' thing that is not easily

explained.