CHIANG RAI– Police in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai have stepped up action against illegal e-cigarette sellers. Officers raided several shops, seizing hundreds of vape devices and vape pods off the market.
On 16 May 2024, Pol Col Sanchai Panitkul, superintendent of Ban Du Police Station, told reporters they directed Chiang Rai’s Security Division, led by Mr Wisit Tuanchip, to work with the district administration and Ban Du police in cracking down on illegal e-cigarette sales online, following the Prime Minister and Interior Minister’s orders.
The team targeted an online shop called “Meekanom Klua,” operating from a rented room near Mae Fah Luang University. The room was used to store and ship e-cigarettes to customers both inside and outside the province.
During their search, officers found two people breaking the law: Ms Darinee (surname withheld), age 21, and Mr Paramin (surname withheld), age 18. Both acted as admins, chatting with buyers, managing orders, and sending out e-cigarettes through online platforms.
Police seized 383 e-cigarette vaping devices as evidence.
Both suspects admitted to working as admins, earning 450 baht a day (30 baht an hour for 15 hours daily), sending products to buyers across the region. Most customers were students and young people in Mueang Chiang Rai. The shop made around 20,000 baht each day.
Police took both suspects to Ban Du Police Station for further legal action. They face two charges: jointly concealing, helping to sell, or possessing prohibited imported goods under the 2017 Customs Act ; and jointly making, selling, or distributing e-cigarettes against the Consumer Product Safety Board’s order. Penalties include up to three years in prison, fines up to 600,000 baht, or both.
This operation is part of a campaign focused on keeping the community safe and protecting young people’s health.
Chiang Mai e-cigarette vendors busted
On the same day, Pol Col Taksin Jantawong, deputy commander of Provincial Police Region 5’s Investigation Division, led a team to arrest Mr Chai (alias), age 24, from Pang Mu, Mueang District, Mae Hong Son, and Ms Porn (alias), age 20, from Fa Ham, Mueang District, Chiang Mai.
They were caught outside a chicken rice shop on the Chiang Mai–San Kamphaeng Road with 24 e-cigarettes, 30 vape pods, 156 bottles of e-liquid, 27 disposable e-cigarettes, 10 refillable e-cigarettes, 9 boxes of refill heads, 63 disposable pods, 27 boxes of e-cigarette heads, two mobile phones, and a black Honda PCX motorbike.
Officers charged them with jointly hiding, helping to sell, or possessing prohibited e-cigarettes, and selling e-cigarettes or related products against Consumer Protection Board orders.
The investigation team then searched a house on Muen Dam Phra Khot Road in Chang Phueak, Mueang District, Chiang Mai, not far from a large local university. They arrested Mr Lak (alias), age 22, from Ban Paen, Mueang District, Lamphun.
Police found 16 bottles of cough syrup, 144 bottles of various allergy medicines, 126 blister packs of painkillers (10 pills per pack), and 5 bottles of kratom extract. He was charged with making or selling herbal products without a licence under Section 17 of the 2019 Herbal Products Act , making or selling herbal items not properly registered under Section 58(4) of the same act, and possessing more than the legal limit of type 2 controlled substances (cough and allergy medicines).
Pol Col Taksin said the suspects had been selling e-cigarettes to young people through the LINE app. Investigations showed that most customers were teenagers in the area. They also uncovered a youth selling flavoured kratom syrup mixed with cough syrup to local buyers. Police are continuing their investigation to identify and charge others involved.
