Joining the raid were personnel from the Volunteer Defense Corps (OrSor) and Border Patrol Police Division, noted a report of the raid.
The raid was allegedly carried out after a tip-off. Of note, photos provided confirming the raid showed customers in the shop at the time officers arrived.
Evidence seized in the raid, conducted at about 2am, included 96 hookah smoking sets, 55 electronic devices (not defined) and 6.937kg of hookah tobacco, along with various hookah-related items, including 105 cups, 8,900 straws and 29 hoses.
The female shop owner, not named in the report, was charged with multiple offenses, including:
- Handling goods tied to criminal activity under the Customs Act B.E. 2560 and Ministry of Commerce regulations prohibiting the import of hookahs and electronic smoking devices.
- Selling prohibited hookah and electronic cigarette products in violation of the Consumer Protection Board’s Order No. 24/2567.
- Selling alcohol without proper licensing.
- Employing foreign workers without permits.
- Selling alcohol during restricted hours, breaching the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.
The staffer at the shop, a Myanmar national, was also arrested and charged with working in Thailand without a permit and residing in the country without legal documentation.
Both suspects and the seized evidence were handed over to Patong Police Station for further legal proceedings, the report concluded.