Border Guards Seize Smuggled Avocados Worth Nearly 3 Tons
Border guards seized nearly 3 tons of smuggled avocados from a pickup truck on Highway 3015 in Mukdahan province after stopping the driver attempting to enter Thailand without customs documentation.
On July 18, 2016, officers from the 2103rd Ranger Company Special Operations Unit and other security agencies conducted border interception operations along Highway 3015 in Bang Sarai Noi subdistrict, Mueang Hoa Wai district, Mukdahan province, to prevent illegal goods from entering the country without customs documentation. Acting on a tip-off about contraband avocados being smuggled in, authorities set up surveillance and successfully stopped a modified gray Isuzu pickup truck (license plate YM 623, Chiang Mai) with metal cage modifications. The driver, 35-year-old Thanadol from Mueang Lampoon district, was apprehended. An inspection of the vehicle revealed 100 crates of avocados weighing approximately 2,700 kilograms, all lacking proper customs clearance. The goods were seized and the driver was transferred to Mukdahan Customs for legal proceedings. Officials stated they will continue stepping up patrols and enforcement operations along the border to prevent tax evasion and protect the country's economic interests.
