Bt5 million worth of illegal goods seized by Thai Customs

[webfact]

Bt5 million worth of illegal goods seized by Customs
The Nation


The Customs Department yesterday announces the seizure of ivory and other illegal items worth Bt5 million that were mailed to Thailand from October 2014 to February this year. The announcement was made at the Bangkok Express Mail Service Centre in Lak Si

BANGKOK: -- AUTHORITIES have seized ivory, illegal liquid inhalants, pornographic materials, libido-boosting medication, hookah tobacco, electronic cigarettes and other illegal items worth Bt5 million in Thailand-bound packages, Bangkok's Customs Office director Prayuth Maneechote told the press yesterday.

These items, seized between October and this month, were fewer compared with the previous year, he said, adding that some of the people involved had been arrested.

Prayuth explained that the smuggling route for ivory had shifted from Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania in Africa to Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. Ivory was also being smuggled to Thailand from Madagascar or Mozambique via South Africa, as well as from the United States, Britain, Belgium and Morocco, he said, adding that the new lot had come from Japan.

As per a Cabinet resolution last September, seized ivory items would either be burned, returned to the country of origin or stored for further study.

Meanwhile, Thanit Wattananant, chief of the Postal Customs Service Division, called on members of the public to beware of people claiming to have sent them valuables that are "stuck due to customs procedures and require additional fees".

He said people should first check with the 1164 hotline or e-mail [email protected].

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bt5-million-worth-of-illegal-goods-seized-by-Custo-30254869.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-26

[noitom]

Great news! The article recommends to "first check" with Thai authorities whether an item is legal or not. Everyone knows what happens when you "first check" with a Thai.

[jacky54]

Only about another 5 billion to go then of fakes on sale inside the country, including right outside Police stations

[rametindallas]

illegal items worth Bt5 million

Or less than the price of just one smuggled car. I guess someone's brown envelop was either light or non-existent. The employee parking lot of Customs Dept. has many, many MBs, BMWs, and a few Jags.

[Strangebrew]

Explain how some of these illegal items end up for sale in shops and on the streets within days? Is it get for free sell to resellers 100% profit and new Mercedes tomorrow.

[LuckyLew]

Just a smalll drop in the bucket

Why not also go after ALL the illegal goods that are already here?

Guess a lot of sellers / traders would be out of work

[Prbkk]

Electronic cigarettes...nothing more than protecting the tobacco monopoly from competition and thereby forcing some who might contemplate changing to a demonstrably less dangerous habit to continue with cigarettes. Stupid.

[mathewjg]

"As per a Cabinet resolution last September, seized ivory items would either be burned, returned to the country of origin or stored for further study"

Stored for further study?

[wabothai]

better keep an eye on the lot.

[Sviss Geez]

Great news! The article recommends to "first check" with Thai authorities whether an item is legal or not. Everyone knows what happens when you "first check" with a Thai.

No it doesn't recommend that at all. With yet another Thai bash you deliberately choose to ignore the fact that the last couple of paragraphs is nothing to do with the illegal importation of certain items it is about scammers claiming to have valuable items held up in customs pending a payment for their release by someone being scammed.

[Sviss Geez]

illegal items worth Bt5 million

...The employee parking lot of Customs Dept. has many, many MBs, BMWs, and a few Jags.

Obviously you are making that up but, even if it were true, many MBs, BMWs and Jags cost less than new Corollas, for example.

[Sviss Geez]

Explain how some of these illegal items end up for sale in shops and on the streets within days? Is it get for free sell to resellers 100% profit and new Mercedes tomorrow.

"...some of these illegal items end up for sale in shops and on the streets within days..."

Explain how you know that.

[Lupatria]

...and we all know where all this stuff "re-appears".

[Trembly]

I am doubly disgusted by the fact that the workmanship is clearly not equal to the material.

After all that horridness, it just ends up as cheap, boring tourist tat.

I've seen a documentary where they followed the life of a hunk of jade from the quarry somewhere in Myanmar to the home of the end customer. It was the same story there : whilst they waxed lyrical about the fine qualities of this particular lump of jade and how the grain was rare and highly prized blah blah blah, the craftsman, who looked like he could do with some new clothes and new tools, got to work with some really boring Chinese fountain / mountain / bamboo frond design that we've all seen a million times before.

Edited February 26, 2015 by Trembly

[Godders]

Quite right. Who needs Viagra when you can have a rhino horn?

[maidee]

they will be nice in the superiors houses , mansions and precious gifts for mia nois

[tomacht8]

Bt5 million worth of illegal goods seized by Customs

What?
Only 5.000.000 Baht in 4 month?
Not more?

Is this the same Houdini department which have misplaced 500 Super Cars last year, and could not find them until today?

Edited February 26, 2015 by tomacht8

[timendres]

As per a Cabinet resolution last September, seized ivory items would either be burned, returned to the country of origin or stored for further study.

OMG, burned?! Why?!

Have they not heard of supply and demand. Burning up supply only puts pressure on the demand side.

The lovely elephants (assuming), have already made their sacrifice. They should sell those items into a proper market at a high price and use the proceeds for their efforts to stop the illegal ivory trade. Let the sacrifice amount to something good.

[tomacht8]

As per a Cabinet resolution last September, seized ivory items would either be burned, returned to the country of origin or stored for further study.

OMG, burned?! Why?!

Have they not heard of supply and demand. Burning up supply only puts pressure on the demand side.

The lovely elephants (assuming), have already made their sacrifice. They should sell those items into a proper market at a high price and use the proceeds for their efforts to stop the illegal ivory trade. Let the sacrifice amount to something good.

I support your thought to 100%

Edited February 26, 2015 by tomacht8