A Large Quantity Of Illegal Electronic Cigarettes Was Intercepted By The Thai Police On The Highway, With A Value Of 10 Million Thai Baht.

On July 9th, the Thai highway police intercepted a van carrying 10 million baht worth of illegal electronic cigarettes. These cigarettes were being smuggled from the Shadot area of Songkhla Province to the Chiangae area. The police believe that this case may involve a nationwide illegal electronic cigarette trafficking network and are urgently expanding the investigation scope to capture the entire gang.
On the 9th, officers from the 3rd District of the 7th Operations Command of the Thai Highway Police in Khon Kaen Province, Chai Eay District, Patong Town, on the National Highway 4 line, at the 1272-kilometer mark of the Shadao-Haia section, tracked down and intercepted a white van with the license plate number HQ 1841 Bangko.
Previously, the police had learned that this vehicle illegally transported a large quantity of electronic cigarettes from the Shadao County area to the Haia County area. The police deployed highway police vehicles to surround and attack it, successfully intercepting the van.
After the van was intercepted, the 41-year-old driver, Adisath, was controlled by the police and taken to the 3rd High-Speed Police Station in Chai Eay District, Khon Kaen Province for a detailed search. It was found that the vehicle was stuffed with 57 cardboard boxes. After opening the boxes for inspection, it was discovered that there were multiple brands of electronic cigarettes inside, totaling 22,920 pieces, with an initial valuation of approximately 10 million Thai baht (about 2.2 million yuan).
After interrogation, Adisak confessed that he was hired to drive this van from the Sadao District of Songkhla Province to Khaoay District, but he didn't know what goods were inside. He claimed that as long as he drove the vehicle to the destination, someone would come to take it over, and he only received 300 Thai baht as payment.

Adisak also confessed that this was his third time being hired to drive this van. A acquaintance contacted him to drive the van, but he didn't know where these electronic cigarettes came from or where they would be sent.
The commander of the 7th Operations Team of the 3rd District Highway Police Bureau, Colonel Wilison Makhach, said that the quantity of these electronic cigarettes seized was huge and could be regarded as one of the largest cases seized by the Thai Highway Police this year. Next, the police will coordinate with relevant departments to trace the source, destination, and the identities of all the involved individuals, and it is believed that there is a national-level criminal gang behind this.
After the initial investigation, the police have transferred the suspect Adisak along with all the evidence to the Thonglor Police Station, and have filed a lawsuit against him under Article 264 of the 2017 Customs Law, for assisting in concealing, assisting in selling, assisting in transporting, purchasing, accepting pawn, or accepting any form of receiving, handling goods that are known to be unpaid taxes, controlled items, prohibited items, or items that have not been properly cleared for entry into Thailand, or entering Thailand in violation of relevant taxes or restrictions.