Police have raided a network of drug stores and arrested 20 staff for selling illegal amounts of cough syrup to adolescents to make a so-called “4×100” drug cocktail.
The arrests were made at 19 outlets yesterday operated by three licensed drug stores in Bangkok and Pathum Thani.
Pol Maj Gen Anant Nanasombat, commander of the Consumer Protection Police Division, said the operation was a joint force with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The officers also seized cough syrup, antihistamines and other medications, worth 2.4 million baht.
He said the raided premises were branches of three drugstores run by Mr Thanakit, Mr Thanathep and Mr Khomphit. He did not disclose their surnames.
He said the three men had obtained permission to open many drug stores so they could get quotas to purchase large amounts of cough syrup and antihistamines, which were mainly sold to adolescents.
Investigators learned that the drugstores were selling more than the three bottles of cough syrup allowed each time to each buyer, exceeding the legal limit. The cough syrups contained diphenphydramine, promethazine and dextromethorphan. The teenagers bought the cough syrup to mix with other substances to make the drug cocktail known as 4×100.