Police Raid in Nonthaburi Uncovers Vast Vape Smuggling Network

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Thai Government House //via Bangkok Post

 

In a meticulously planned raid dubbed "Operation Smoke Out," police authorities in Nonthaburi launched a successful offensive against a massive underground vape supply network, seizing contraband worth approximately 130 million Thai Baht.

 

This decisive action unfolded on Tuesday across ten different locations, including five warehouses and as many houses, revealing the scale of the smuggling operation believed to be orchestrated by a single Thai mastermind who remains elusive.

 

The crackdown, which took eight months of diligent undercover investigation, targeted a mixture of online and physical retail outlets that operate under the radar, hawking illegal vape paraphernalia nationwide. At a seized warehouse in the Bang Bua Thong district, Pol Maj Gen Samran Nuanma, assistant national police chief, presented the findings, stressing the scope of the operation's breakthrough.

 

"The arrests pertain only to warehouse supervisors, employed at a monthly rate of 20,000 Baht. Our primary suspect, the custodian of these illegal assets, is yet to be apprehended but remains somewhere within the country," Pol Maj Gen Samran elaborated.

 

Police captured an astounding array of 260,000 e-cigarettes and associated products imported unlawfully via Laem Chabang port from China. These stocks were meticulously distributed among over 100 outlets nationwide, catering predominantly to online clientele.

 

Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom, head of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, chronicled the unraveling of this clandestine operation, highlighting its dependency on both digital platforms and personal networks for product dissemination. Partnering with logistics channels, the contrived merchandise made its way through postal services before being distributed to storefronts across multiple regions.

 

 

 

Scrutiny during the briefing focused on possible internal police complicity, particularly given one warehouse’s close proximity to the Bang Bua Thong police station. However, further investigation has revealed a strategic leasing arrangement, with the property owner, an ex-officer's former spouse, purportedly unaware of the misdemeanour operated within her premises.

 

An additional highlight of the raid was the involvement of "vapequeenzstore.com," revealed as a significant online player presently defunct and "under maintenance." A vendor by the name "Pat" has been linked to this illegal enterprise.

 

While the operation marked a significant stride in stemming the tide of illicit vape distribution in Thailand, authorities concede that portions of the contraband might have traversed through southern corridors, suggesting a broader smuggling architecture still to be dismantled. As investigations continue, the police urge the public for vigilance and any information that could further corner this rampant enterprise, restoring order and compliance in vape product distribution within the region, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2025-03-19

 

 

[Woke to Sounds]

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

In a meticulously planned raid dubbed "Operation Smoke Out,"

 

BUT....  pot shops on every block selling mind altering substances are OK  🤣 🤣

[it is what it is]

1 minute ago, Woke to Sounds said:

 

BUT....  pot shops on every block selling mind altering substances are OK  🤣 🤣

 

yea, and shops/bars selling alcohol, as in many countries the contradiction is not thai.

[GanDoonToonPet]

Insanity!

 

Imagine the amount of tax the government could have raised and spent on public services instead. Actually, it's a double whammy as they've wasted taxpayers money on the 'eight months of diligent undercover investigation'.