Officials from the Internal Trade Department have seized about 27 tonnes of garlic, worth about two million baht, in Khlong Luang district of Pathum Thani province. The garlic had been smuggled into Thailand from a neighboring country.

The officials, led by Wattanasak Sur-iam, the director-general of the department, went to a wholesale market in Khlong Luang district yesterday (Tuesday), after it was reported that a truck, carrying garlic from Laem Chabang deep-sea port in Chon Buri, would arrive to deliver it to a customer.

The officials seized the truck and found the illegally imported garlic on board. The driver was taken into custody after he could not produce a document for the movement of the garlic from Chon Buri to Bangkok.

Wattanasak said the driver faces charges of moving the garlic without a license, in violation of the edict of the Central Committee on Prices of Goods and Services, an offence which, if convicted, is subject to five years in prison and/or a maximum fine of 100,000 baht.

He also said he would ask the Customs Department to check whether the importer of the garlic had paid import duties.

He explained that the edict to control the movement of garlic is intended to protect domestic garlic farmers from unfair competition from imported garlic, which is much cheaper than the local product.

Moreover, he said the Internal Trade Department has purchased about 10,000 tonnes of garlic, shallots and onions from farmers this year to stabilise their prices.