CHIANG MAI: A man and a woman were arrested and unlicensed weight loss medication being sold illegally as food supplements, worth over 10 million baht, seized during raids on three premises in Muang and Saraphi districts.
The products contained the appetite suppressant sibutramine, a controlled drug that required a doctor’s prescription, with fake FDA labels of approval.
Pithakphum Kulhai, 30, and Supischa Wongsaenprasert, 28, were held after a combined team of Department of Special Investigation officers and health officials raided three houses in the two districts on Wenesday, Pol Lt Col Kornwat Parnpraphakorn, DSI deputy chief, told a media briefing on Thursday.
At the first house, about 100,000 capsules labelled as Hi Herb Slimming supplement and other weight loss products bearing the Aiko label were seized, in tambon Mae Hia, Muang district.
The team then raided a second house in the same district and found 106 boxes containing 1.5 million capsules of weight loss supplements packaged with the Aiko brand.
The DSI-led team then raided another house in Saraphi district, and found many products labelled with both brand names. The products seized from the three premises had a retail value of around 10 million baht, Thai media reported.
Mr Pithakphum and Ms Supischa are owners of M Co, which produced both brand names. They were charged with colluding in producing and selling food supplement using false Food and Drug Administration labels to deceive consumers.
Pol Lt Col Kornwat said the raids followed the spread of weight loss products packaged as food or dietary supplements being sold to school girls, university students and office workers in Chiang Mai.
