A Chinese national has been arrested after police raided a warehouse in Muang district of Samut Prakan and seized more than 18,000 counterfeit cosmetics and personal care products bearing fake trademarks of well-known brands.
Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD), armed with a search warrant, searched a four-storey commercial building in tambon Thai Ban of Muang district on Wednesday.
They seized more than 70 types of counterfeit cosmetics and personal-care products infringing on trademarks registered in Thailand, totalling 18,478 items with an estimated value exceeding 2 million baht.
The seized products included skincare creams, sunscreen, facial cleansers, serums, moisturisers, toothpaste, soap, sprays and facial masks bearing counterfeit or imitation trademarks of several well-known brands.
The raid followed a complaint filed by representatives of trademark owners after consumers reported receiving substandard products. An investigation found that the goods were not manufactured by the legitimate brand owners.
During Wednesday’s raid, officers found a Chinese man identified only as Wei Xin inside the building. During questioning, he denied all charges, claiming he was only a temporary worker hired to package the products.
He was taken into custody, while investigators said they were expanding the probe to identify and prosecute other members of the network, including those responsible for orchestrating the operation.
The raid in Samut Prakan came a day after ECD police seized more than 30,000 counterfeit branded products at a warehouse in Min Buri district of Bangkok. The warehouse was run by a Chinese national, Thai workers at the site said.
