The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) have taken joint legal action against 255 suspects in cases involving the illegal distribution of medical and health products in the past year, worth over 1.6 billion baht in total.
Among the 255 offenders busted in these cases between last October and this September, 101 allegedly sold medications without authorisation, while another 63 were caught selling food products which weren't certified by the FDA, Supattra Boonserm, acting deputy secretary-general of the FDA, said on Wednesday.
Another 53 people were arrested for selling cosmetics not certified by the FDA and 26 others for distributing medical devices without authorisation, she said.
The total value of products seized in these cases was 1.64 billion baht, she said.
Some of the higher-profile cases involved the illegal production and distribution of medical devices and medicines related to Covid-19, such as rapid antigen test kits, surgical gloves, fingertip oximeters, facemasks, alcohol solution, favipiravir, and green chiretta capsules, she said.
The FDA and CPPD are committed to scaling up their crackdowns on these crimes to protect consumers, she added.
Consumers are advised to check the FDA's website for information on products they are considering and report the suspected selling of unauthorised products to the FDA via the following Line ID: @FdaThai, hotline 1556, or by emailing 1556@fda.moph.go.th.
.jpg?w=600)
