The operation was carried out under the direction of Phuket Governor Chotinrin Kerdsum, who ordered an inspection involving officers from the Phuket Provincial Administration, the Phuket Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), Chalong Police, and the Phuket Area Excise Office.
The joint team inspected suspicious parcels at the post office at about 1:30pm, where they discovered eight boxes containing 200 cartons, or 2,000 packs, of smuggled cigarettes.
The cigarettes were seized as evidence and a formal seizure report was prepared before the goods were handed over to Chalong Police Station for further legal action.
Officials said the investigation is now focused on identifying the individuals responsible for ordering the shipment and uncovering the wider smuggling network behind the illegal trade.
Phuket officials reaffirmed their commitment to continuing coordinated enforcement operations against the smuggling and sale of illegal goods across the province.
Authorities said the crackdown is intended to protect consumers, promote fair competition for legitimate businesses and safeguard government tax revenue.
WICHIT RAIDS
Meanwhile, Wichit Police have arrested two people and seized hundreds of packs of smuggled foreign cigarettes during raids on two illegal shops following complaints that the businesses were selling untaxed cigarettes, including to minors.
The raids were carried out yesterday evening (July 1) on the orders of Wichit Police Superintendent Col Somsak Thongkliang. Teams led by Deputy Superintendents Lt Col Wutthiwat Liengbunjinda and Lt Col Suthon Thongphan targeted two shops near Sri Phuwanat Public Park after receiving complaints from local residents and reports circulated on social media.
At the first shop, officers found a 67-year-old man, identified by police only as ‘Mr Wichit’, and seized 177 packs of foreign cigarettes representing 19 different brands. He was arrested and charged with possessing foreign cigarettes for sale without customs duties having been paid.
Police then searched a nearby shop, where they arrested 23-year-old ‘Sarina’ and seized 166 packs of foreign cigarettes covering 29 brands, along with 64 cartons of foreign cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash.
She was also charged with possessing foreign cigarettes for sale without customs duties having been paid. Police said they are continuing to investigate the source of the smuggled cigarettes.
Col Somsak said Wichit Police had received complaints over the previous one to two days from members of the public and local news pages alleging that the shops were illegally selling foreign cigarettes without licences or tax stamps, including sales to minors.
He said officers investigated the complaints before carrying out the raids and making the arrests.
“We thank the public and social media platforms for helping monitor irregularities and illegal activities, enabling officers to investigate and arrest those responsible,” Col Somsak said.
He added that public cooperation plays an important role in making Wichit a safer and more liveable community.
Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub