A Chinese man has been arrested on charges of selling contraband cigarettes from China after police seized 65,000 packs in raids on a secret room at his residence and a deserted building in Bangkok.
The untaxed goods worth 6 million baht were the biggest lot of smuggled Chinese cigarettes that Thai police had ever seized, Pol Maj Gen Thatphum Jarupat, commander of the Economic Crime Suppression Division, said on Thursday.
The suspect, identified as Fang Weixin, 34, was apprehended on Wednesday when officers raided two locations in Bangkok.
The first location was a house in Ratchadaphisek Soi 10 in Huai Khwang district, where officers found 20,000 cigarette packs in 40 boxes. The goods had been hidden in an underground room, Pol Maj Gen Thatphum said. Computers and mobile phones were also found there.
The second location was a deserted commercial building in Lat Phrao Soi 23 in Chatuchak district. Police found another 45,000 packs in 90 boxes. (Story continues below)
The police investigation, coordinated by the Excise Department and the Tobacco Authority of Thailand, revealed that Mr Fang was an administrator of a Telegram group that had over 4,000 members.
The suspect admitted he had been selling the goods through the Telegram group and TikTok platform, advertising quality shipping services, Pol Maj Gen Thatphum said. Police monitoring the Ratchadaphisek residence reported many delivery riders arriving daily to pick up items there.
The suspect reportedly told police that he had a Chinese boss who lives in Cambodia and has a company in Phnom Penh, engaged in advertising and shipping as well as smuggling.
Mr Fang claimed he earned a salary of 50,000 baht a month plus commission for selling the contraband cigarettes, and he had been doing the job for a year, Pol Maj Gen Thatphum said.
The Excise Department estimated the tax losses from the smuggling at 4 million baht. Under the Excise Act, it can fine offenders anywhere from 5 to 20 times the amount lost. In this case, it would propose a fine of 60 million baht, police said.
The investigation is continuing to determine if the case is linked to any scam gangs in Cambodia, Pol Maj Gen Thatphum said.