Police Bust Major E-Cigarette Trafficking Ring in Bangkok
Police raided two Bangkok locations in July, seizing 50,000 e-cigarettes and 4.8 million baht cash from a major online distribution network operated by a Lao national.
Police raided two locations in central Bangkok on July 9 to crack down on an online e-cigarette distribution network. Deputy Police Commissioner Pol. Gen. Nirandr Leamsri, head of the Anti-E-Cigarette Center, led the operation alongside other senior narcotics officers.
At the first location on Phetchkasem Soi 63 in Bang Kae district, officers found approximately 50,000 e-cigarette units and e-liquid ready to be packed and shipped to customers. A 30-year-old Lao national was arrested at the scene and is being questioned.
The second location, about one kilometer away in the same soi, housed the residence where officers apprehended a 28-year-old delivery man and a 40-year-old woman homeowner. Police seized approximately 4.8 million baht in cash from this location for investigation.
According to Pol. Gen. Nirandr, the first site served as a warehouse and packing center for distribution, while the second was a residential address. The cash discovered was reportedly used as working capital for e-cigarette trading operations. The suspect is considered a major-level e-cigarette distributor operating in central Bangkok, with seized merchandise valued at no less than 10 million baht.