E-Cigarettes Disguised as Toys Seized in Massive Police Raid

[webfact]

Picture courtesy: Facebook MorningNews

 

Thai police conducted a major raid today in Chiang Mai, seizing e-cigarettes disguised as toys worth 10 million baht. The police confiscated 31,790 e-cigarette items from a warehouse, uncovering a scheme to appeal to youth and evade detection by parents and teachers.

 

Leading the operation, Police Lieutenant General Nirundorn Luemsri reported the raid stemmed from an investigation into the website yaivapeth.com, which sold e-cigarettes across the country. The investigation culminated in the bust of a storeroom in Pa Phai, San Sai District, owned by Saran Yu. He confessed to running the business for four years.

 

"The packaging was tailored to look like toys, making it easier for youngsters to hide these products," remarked Pol. Lt. Gen. Nirundorn. This discovery highlights the growing sophistication of vendors trying to circumvent regulations and target young consumers.

 

The ministry seized over 100,000 e-cigarettes from 18 dealers this past year. Yet, limitations in existing laws have hampered efforts to crackdown on the illicit e-cigarette trade effectively. These current statutes, spanning Public Health, Customs, and trademark laws, lack the cohesive authority needed to address the problem comprehensively.

 

Thanakrit Jitarareerat, an advisor to Thailand's Minister of Public Health, stressed the urgency for stronger legislation. He emphasized, "We are working on drafting new e-cigarette control laws to bridge these enforcement gaps. The aim is to empower authorities to take action against importers, sellers, and even possessors."

 

The Ministry’s proposed legislation seeks to provide clear guidelines and robust enforcement mechanisms, targeting all levels of the distribution chain from importation to end-users. This move is seen as crucial to curb youth e-cigarette use and mitigate associated health risks.

 

Today's significant seizure demonstrates the complexity of regulating e-cigarettes. It's clear more stringent laws and a unified enforcement strategy are needed to control this emerging public health issue.

 

-- 2024-08-20

 

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[JoePai]

This move is seen as crucial to curb youth e-cigarette use 

 

Agree, let them smoke 'real' fags  

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai police conducted a major raid today in Chiang Mai, seizing e-cigarettes disguised as toys worth 10 million baht. The police confiscated 31,790 e-cigarette items from a warehouse, uncovering a scheme to appeal to youth and evade detection by parents and teachers

He's toast.

[PETERTHEEATER]

That explains why a man I saw in the market last month had  Barbie doll in his mouth.