Crime Chinese Fake Perfume Empire Collapses After Three Years

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod

 

Police have dismantled a long-running counterfeit goods operation in Bangkok, seizing over 30,000 fake luxury perfume items worth more than 4 million baht during coordinated raids on 2 May.

 

Officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division, part of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), raided five separate warehouses located in the Ratburana and Bukkhalo districts of the capital. A total of 34,806 counterfeit brand-name perfume products were seized during the operation, which officials say was part of a broader crackdown on illegal Chinese-owned businesses operating in Thailand.

 

The action followed an earlier seizure of illicit cosmetic and perfume products from a Thai seller. Investigators traced the source of the goods to a Chinese national who had been smuggling the items into the country for wholesale distribution.

 

Police revealed that the smuggling ring used multiple rented storage facilities to conceal operations and avoid detection. Surveillance was carried out before officers secured court-approved search warrants to enter and confiscate the goods.

 

According to Police Major General Pattanasak Buppasuwan, Commander of the Consumer Protection Police Division, the Chinese investor behind the scheme had been using nominee bank accounts in Cambodia to receive proceeds from illegal sales. The counterfeit products were largely sold wholesale to Thai merchants, who then resold them via online platforms and retail shops across the country.

 

The perfumes, which were packaged to closely resemble legitimate luxury brands, were found to be of inferior quality. Investigators believe the counterfeit operation had been running for approximately three years.

 

The suspect now faces multiple charges, including selling unregistered cosmetics, distributing products without the required Thai-language labelling, and engaging in unauthorised sales.

 

All evidence has been transferred to the Consumer Protection Police Division for further investigation. Authorities are continuing efforts to locate and apprehend the main suspect.

 

Major General Pattanasak issued a stern warning to consumers about the dangers of buying cheap cosmetics and perfumes from unreliable sources, noting that counterfeit products may pose serious health risks such as respiratory irritation, allergic reactions, high blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting.

 

He also urged smugglers and distributors of illegal goods to cease their activities immediately, stating that police will persist in expanding their investigations and prosecutions. “Anyone found guilty will face the full weight of the law,” he said.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khoasod 2025-05-04.