Police Bust Illegal Diet Pill Factory Worth 100 Million Baht
Police raided an illegal diet pill factory in Nonthaburi worth over 100 million baht, arresting three Myanmar nationals after a woman died from counterfeit pills in February. Authorities seized chemicals and packaging for multiple fake weig
On July 7, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., Deputy Prime Minister Supamas Issraphakdi led a raid by Bangkok Metropolitan Police investigating division, accompanied by Deputy National Police Commander Samran Nualma, supported by pharmacy official Supattra Boonserm, the secretary-general of the FDA. Police searched an illegal weight-loss drug manufacturing facility in the Bang Mae Nang subdistrict, Bang Yai district, Nonthaburi province.
The raid stemmed from a February incident where a young woman from Bangkok's Din Daeng district died after consuming counterfeit "Bachi" brand diet pills. After her family filed a complaint, police launched an investigation to identify the source and prevent further casualties.
Authorities discovered two locations: one manufacturing facility and one warehouse storing raw materials and packaging. Police seized numerous chemicals, machinery, and packaging materials used to produce multiple counterfeit weight-loss brands valued at over 100 million baht. Three Myanmar nationals were arrested at the site—a 25-year-old woman and two men aged 27 and 21. All three claimed they had only worked at the facility for five months at 400 baht daily wages and were unaware the products were unlicensed and contained dangerous substances.
Police are expanding the investigation to identify the factory owner and tracking distribution networks. Initial testing confirmed the presence of sibutramine in 10 different diet pill brands. Sibutramine is a former prescription drug for obesity treatment that is now banned and classified as a Type 1 psychotropic substance due to its appetite-suppressant effects and serious cardiovascular risks. Previous police crackdowns had halted its distribution for years, though smuggling operations have resumed. The FDA urges the public to report suspicious supplements by calling the FDA hotline at 1556.
