The raid followed officers from Division 4 of the Royal Thai Police Consumer Protection Crime Suppression Division and officers from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigating the source of cough medicine used by suspects caught in Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Phuket with the drug cocktail “4 x 100” (“Four Times One Hundred”).
Of note, news of the raid was reported by the Royal Thai Police Consumer Protection Division in Bangkok. Phuket police who took part in the raid have yet to report their role in the joint operation.
Officers on Oct 28 armed with a search warrant raided a location in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, but found the place empty of any contraband, reported Consumer Protection Division police.
Further investigation led them to an address in Soi Lak Kongsi in Rassada, Phuket, after one suspect confessed that he had ordered the cough medicine from a “Mr Teerawat” (last name withheld), who also goes by the name “Mr Dan”, the report said.
Police and FDA officials together with officers from the Phuket Provincial Police, Phuket City Police and the Phuket Provincial Health office (PPHO) raided the Rassada address on Nov 17, finding the haul of illegally produced cough medicine.
Armed with a search warrant from the Phuket Provincial Court to search the premises, officers found materials and equipment for the production of cough syrup Diphenyl.
In total, 21,250 bottles labelled “Diphenyl Expectorant Syrup” were seized, along with raw materials for production. The labels on the bottles were marked that the medicine contained drug formula registration number 2A 58/60.
Officers also seized 7,237 empty medicine bottles, 80,000 bottle caps, 1,840 empty boxes, 1,200 sections of bubble wrap and seven machines and other items of equipment used for producing the medicine.
The suspect arrested confessed that no permit had been issued for the premises to produce medicine and admitted that all items seized were his, the report said.
The items seized and the suspect are now in police custody as police continue their investigation for further legal proceedings, the report noed.
The suspect is currently facing charges under the Drug Act 1967 for manufacture of counterfeit drugs, selling counterfeit drugs, producing and selling modern drugs without permission, the police confirmed.
Punishment under the charges range from imprisonment for three years to life and fines of B10,000 to B50,000, the report said.
JohnC | 25 November 2021 - 09:16:25