Up in smoke: Royal Thai Police extinguish counterfeit cigarette ring

[webfact]

 

A major counterfeit cigarette network, known as Jae Pen Fang Thon, has been dismantled by the Royal Thai Police and the Department of Excise. The operation led to the arrest of 55 year old Tawan, and the seizure of an extensive cache of contraband, resulting in an estimated loss of 45 million baht to the state.

The operation took place at 11am today, at the Pracha Araksa Building. Among the officials involved were Sophon Saraphat, deputy chief of the police, and Ekaniti Nititatprapha, Director-General of the Excise Department.

 

The items confiscated from Tawan included 4,881 cartons of various brands of counterfeit cigarettes, equating to 48,810 packets, alongside a Toyota Fortuner and a closed van. The arrest was made at the Thai Post office in Thap Thai, Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province.

The crackdown followed the arrest of the Jae Pen counterfeit cigarette network, which is a major player in the Thonburi district. The operation yielded 40 crates of foreign cigarettes, approximately 20,973 packets.

Investigations revealed these counterfeit cigarettes were smuggled into the country from neighbouring nations before being sorted into postal boxes. This made them resemble regular parcels, allowing for distribution to customers via private transport to avoid inspection.

 

by Nattapong Westwood 

PHOTO: via The independent

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-01-13

 

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[flyingtlger]

Up in smoke: Royal Thai Police extinguish counterfeit cigarette ring....

 

Sounds like a high school newspaper heading.....

[ChipButty]

They should be locked up for a long time selling counterfeit ciggies, they can kill you smoking them 

[stoner]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

resulting in an estimated loss of 45 million baht to the state.

 

don't f with the taxman. 

[ChrisY1]

This business now operated exclusively by the RTP....

[ezzra]

Somehow i got the nagging feeling, (and the police reputation)  that NOT ALL the cache went up in smoke...

[Andrew65]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Somehow i got the nagging feeling, (and the police reputation)  that NOT ALL the cache went up in smoke...

Many single packets of ciggies were incinerated in a series of 20 separate burnings!?

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

Somehow i got the nagging feeling, (and the police reputation)  that NOT ALL the cache went up in smoke...

Empty cig packets

[The Old Bull]

Just taking advantage of the market that opened up when 7/11 stopped carrying Benson & Hedges.

[radiochaser]

Cigarette smuggling to evade paying taxes?   
Where have I read about that before?

I read years ago about a truck driver who was stopped by criminals.  He thought they wanted to steal his truck and trailer.  Nah, they let him keep those that were worth more than $100,000.00 USD.   It was his cargo that they wanted.   Cigarettes'!   Law enforcement suspected the cigarettes were later smuggled into New York City.  I think the theft was in Georgia, the state, not the country. 

https://www.mackinac.org/blog/2023/cigarette-taxes-turn-new-york-into-smuggling-empire#:~:text=New York City imposes additional excise taxes of,all cigarettes sold in New York were smuggled.

Edited January 14 by radiochaser