Songkhla Seizes 30 Million Baht Electronic Cigarette Haul
Songkhla police arrested two suspects and seized over 205,000 electronic cigarettes and liquid cartridges worth 30 million baht in a major smuggling bust on August 4. Authorities are hunting two coordinators who organized the illegal goods
On August 5, 2026, Songkhla Governor Ratthashastr Chidchoo announced the arrest of two suspects involved in a major electronic cigarette smuggling operation. Officers seized 205,704 units—comprising 49,104 e-cigarette devices and 156,600 liquid cartridges—valued at approximately 30 million baht. Acting on security intelligence about illegal goods being transported from a neighboring border area, provincial officials coordinated with Sadao district authorities to stake out a parking lot along Kanchanavanich Road. At 8 p.m. on August 4, they surrounded three covered pickup trucks that were preparing to load the contraband onto a ten-wheeler truck for transport to Bangkok. When authorities moved in, some suspects fled, but two were detained.
The detainees confessed to transporting illegal goods for 1,000 baht per trip, having collected the shipment from a fish farm area in Samnak Kham, Sadao district. They identified two alleged coordinators—referred to as "Bee" and "Moss"—who arranged the timing and delivery points. Authorities are pursuing both individuals and working to dismantle the broader smuggling network. The operation reflects a coordinated effort by Songkhla province, security agencies, and the Thai-border command center under the government's urgent 90-day drug suppression campaign and ongoing efforts to combat transnational crime and illegal smuggling.
