Eight suspects were arrested during a crackdown on the smuggling of e-cigarettes and dried animal products from Malaysia into Thailand between September 29 and 30. Officials seized smuggled goods valued at more than 31 million baht in Satun province.
Satun Provincial Governor Kanit Kongchuay disclosed details of the operation yesterday, October 1, saying the arrests followed several months of monitoring a suspected cross-border smuggling network.
Officers seized 77,960 disposable e-cigarettes and 17,500 e-cigarette liquid pods. They also confiscated 38 kilogrammes of pangolin scales, 11 kilogrammes of dried seahorses, 29 kilogrammes of dried insects, 98 kilogrammes of dried centipedes and 59 kilogrammes of dried cicadas.
Officials estimated the total value of the seized goods at more than 31 million baht. The estimated lost tax revenue was approximately 130 million baht, according to the provincial account.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the animal products, including their origins and whether the shipments involved wildlife trafficking offences.
Kanit said the investigation began after officials noticed suspicious imports of large quantities of goods from Malaysia. Investigators found that a large number of people had allegedly been hired to transport products across the Thai-Malaysian border.
Workers were reportedly paid approximately 580 baht per carton transported. The governor said the suspected network had sometimes recruited more than 150 people to move the goods.
Four suspects were arrested during the operation on September 29, followed by another four on September 30.
Kanit said Satun was not believed to be the main destination for the smuggled goods. Investigators believed the products were intended for distribution in Songkhla and other locations.
Officials also suggested that some of the dried animal products might have been intended for use in traditional medicine or products marketed for health and sexual performance. However, this possibility has not been verified.
The investigation remains ongoing as officers work to identify the people who financed the shipments and the intended recipients in Thailand.
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