Customs, Korat Post seize illicit cigarettes

Chong Chom Customs and the Nakhon Ratchasima Postal Centre have seized more than 15,000 illicit cigarettes cartons, valued at around 14.5 million baht in operations across three provinces in lower northeastern Thailand.

The joint campaign, named "This Month, No Smoking", targeted suspected postal deliveries during the long holiday period at the end of July. Customs said the cigarettes were stopped before they could be distributed in Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram and Surin.

Joint operation targets postal deliveries

Prasit Dee-jongcharoen, head of Chong Chom Customs House, said the operation followed government instructions to intensify action against all forms of smuggled goods.

The wider policy is intended to improve tax collection, ensure fairness for legitimate businesses and protect the public from products which could affect health and create longer-term costs for the healthcare system, he said.

Customs Department director-general Phanthong Loykulnunt, deputy director-general Suntareeya Thawichaprasit and Lalita Attapimon, director of Customs Region 2, instructed Chong Chom Customs to strengthen enforcement in its areas of responsibility.

These cover Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram and Surin provinces.

Intelligence led to the seizures

Mr Prasit said officers analysed intelligence, watched suspicious behaviour and tracked high-risk delivery routes before coordinating with Somkiat Khamphila, head of the Nakhon Ratchasima Postal Centre, and assistant head Nawin Promchim.

The two agencies then carried out continuing inspections and arrests under the operation, resulting in the interception of the cigarettes.

"The alarming point in this case, apart from the enormous quantity of illicit cigarettes, is that preliminary checks found that almost all were counterfeit," Mr Prasit said.

"Moreover, because of the unusual smuggling methods and the fairly long transport time, most of the goods had started to develop mould."

He said Customs would continue working at full capacity to protect people in the lower Northeast from being deceived by online illicit-cigarette sellers, in line with government and Customs Department policy.

Travellers and expatriates should be cautious of unusually cheap tobacco offered online, particularly where there is no clear lawful retailer or reliable information on storage and origin. The customs warning points not only to possible counterfeit goods but also to the condition in which products may arrive after being moved through unofficial supply routes.

Pictures courtesy of naewna

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10 August 2026

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