Authorities in Chiang Rai raided a home in the Rop Wiang sub-district and seized 300 e-cigarettes and 100,000 baht of vape accessories. The seizure comes as the Royal Thai Police have launched a nationwide crackdown on the sale of vaping products, especially around schools.
Chiang Rai police revealed that the vendor was arrested earlier on May 15 for operating an illegal shop selling electronic cigarettes, named P-VAPE, located in the Rop Wiang sub-district. Mueang Chiang Rai. This underscores the seriousness with which the authorities are tackling this issue.
After his arrest and closing his shop, the vendor went underground and started selling his vape products through Line App.
A few weeks after the vendor’s arrest, police got a tip-off that the man was operating his business from his rented home. The police staked out the man’s home and witnessed him coming and going from the home 5- 10 times a day.
The police then set up a sting operation, having an undercover officer place an order on Line App. The police officer set up a meeting place and waited for the man to arrive with the vape products.
Upon arriving at the pick-up point, the officer made the transaction and rearrested the suspect. The man was taken back to his rented home, where police discovered his cache of vape products. Police also detained 2 other people at the home, one of whom was a woman.
Police charged the man with an offense under Section 242 according to Section 246, the first paragraph of the Customs Act B.E. 2017, and Section 4 of the Ministry of Commerce announcement regarding the designation of hookah and electric hookah or electronic cigarettes.
Police said that the man was also in violation of the order of the Consumer Protection Board No. 9/2015 regarding the prohibition of selling or prohibiting the provision of services of shisha products, shisha, electric shisha, electronic cigarettes, or hookah medicine, Liquid for refilling electronic hookah or electronic cigarettes which is punishable by imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding 600,000 baht or both.
By Geoff Thomas
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