Crime Caught Red-Handed: Over 5,000 E-Cigarettes Hidden in Boxes of Crabs

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Daily News

 

Highway police in Songkhla have intercepted a haul of illicit e-cigarettes valued at over 2 million baht cunningly concealed in foam containers labelled as carrying freshwater crabs.

 

The arrest took place near the Rattaphum Highway Police checkpoint in Songkhla province. Officers from Highway Police Subdivision 7 detained 22-year-old Kittipong Hortong, who was driving a blue Isuzu D-Max box truck registered in Surat Thani. Inside the vehicle, police discovered 3,470 e-cigarette devices and 2,350 bottles of vaping liquid, all stashed beneath boxes meant to resemble containers used for transporting pu na(rice field crabs), a local delicacy.

 

The operation was led by Pol. Col. Intharat Panya, commander of Subdivision 7, and Pol. Lt. Col. Warisorn Matcha, head of Highway Police Station 3. Officers had set up a routine checkpoint when they became suspicious of the vehicle’s contents and initiated a search.

 

Under questioning, Mr. Kittipong confessed to being hired by an unnamed financier to transport the contraband from Chana district, Songkhla, to Bangkok. He admitted he was promised a fee of just 2,500 baht for the job. His attempts to deceive officers by disguising the shipment as seafood cargo were ultimately unsuccessful.

 

He has been charged with possessing and attempting to distribute untaxed goods and with knowingly transporting items that had not cleared customs duty. Mr. Kittipong and the seized items were handed over to Rattaphum Police Station for further legal proceedings.

 

The case highlights the growing trend of smuggling e-cigarettes into Thailand, where they remain illegal to import, sell or possess, despite their popularity among some younger users. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to cracking down on the illicit vape trade.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Daily News 2025-07-09