Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers have seized over two tonnes of smuggled canned orange pulp and shut down a substandard ready-to-drink orange juice production line during raids in Bangkok’s Prawet district.
The operation, conducted yesterday by the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD), targeted two locations in On Nut Soi 66, a registered company and an unnumbered warehouse.
During the search, authorities confiscated 112 cartons containing a total of 672 cans of imported orange pulp imported from China. Each can weighed 3 kilograms, bringing the total weight of the seized contraband to 2,016 kilograms. The seized goods and damaged production value are estimated at over 500,000 baht. None of the products carried mandatory Thai Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) approval labels.
A woman, identified only as ‘Lamphai’, was arrested at the scene. She has been charged with harbouring, distributing or purchasing smuggled goods under Sections 242 and 246 of the Customs Act B.E. 2560 (2017). Police report that she confessed to all charges during initial questioning.
According to the ECD, investigators acted on a tip-off that the company was illegally importing canned orange pulp from China without paying customs duties or obtaining the required TFDA permits.
Furthermore, surveillance revealed that the substandard facility was using the smuggled orange pulp to manufacture bottled, ready-to-drink orange juice distributed to the general public.
After verifying the operations were illicit, police secured a warrant from the Central Tax Court to execute the dual raids.
