Raids target e-cigarette businesses

Raids target e-cigarette businesses

Raids target e-cigarette businesses
On Sunday evening in Surat Thani, leaders display e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. ( Photo: Supapong Chaolan )

Authorities have seize an e-cigarette store in Surat Thani, which is said to have had one million baht of regular sales, and two nonthaburi stores where 20 million baht of e-cigarettes were seize.

On Sunday nights, Surat Thani government Jetsada Jitrat instructed associate government Pol Lt Somchai Rueangchan to guide a group of soldiers through the demolition of an e-cigarette factory in tambon Makham Tia in Surat Thani’s Muang area.

A gentleman found working in the shop, Thatthon Liusakul, 31, was arrested, and more then 100,000 baht’s value of e-cigarettes and vaping paraphernalia  were seized. The officers even found cannabis items, including 46 legs and 500 micrograms of powdered cannabis, on the premises.  

Mr Thatthon, who said he had been working at the store for about two weeks, said the purchase makes up to 40,000 baht regularly in income, or more than a million ringgit per quarter.

He claimed that the shop’s user paid for the store’s use of cannabis items because they belonged to someone else.

The raid was initiated after an improper e-cigarette business was discovered selling to younger customers close to two universities, according to Pol Lt Somchai.

He claimed that the e-cigarette factory was Surat Thani’s biggest retail space in years.  

On Saturday, Assistant National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Nirundorn Luamsri conducted two additional raids in Nonthaburi on two e-cigarette storage areas in tambon Khlong Khoi, in the city of Pak Kret.

About 70,000 e-cigarettes for around 20 million rmb, were seized according to Lt Gen Nirundorn.