Laem chabang: The Customs Department seized more than 88 million baht worth of contraband goods, including smuggled e-cigarettes, unlicensed cosmetics, bags, shoes, printer ink, and goods that are considered offences under the Basel Convention. The Treasury Department has ordered strict inspections in all dimensions.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Surachat Thienthong, Assistant Secretary to the Minister of Finance, and Mr. Pol. Lt. Col. Nopphacha Chakkraphet, Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Finance, chaired the press conference. The Customs Department seized illegal goods worth more than 88 million baht after the Ministry of Finance urged the Customs Department to seriously suppress all forms of illegal activities. The Laem Chabang Port Customs, which is a large port and has economic importance in terms of importing and exporting goods, including in Chonburi Province, was able to seize 120,000 e-cigarettes, e-cigarette liquids and equipment in the first three months of the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, e-cigarettes, e-cigarette liquids and equipment, 2,300,000 foreign and Thai cigarettes, 200 claw machines, 17,000 unlicensed cosmetics, 9,000 items of bags, shoes, printer ink, infringing on various trademarks, and intercepted 1,300 tons of goods that were considered an offense under the Basel Convention, with an estimated value of seizures and economic damage of more than 88 million baht.

Mr. Direk Kacharak, Deputy Director-General of the Customs Department, added that the Customs Department has destroyed 189 claw machines and components that were smuggled in violation of customs laws and other related laws, worth over 2 million baht, which were evidence that the case has reached a final resolution by crushing them to prevent them from circulating in the market or being used illegally again. The Department will continue to strictly suppress illegal acts by accelerating the expansion of the use of AI technology and X-ray machines for imported and exported containers to help with inspections in order to increase operational efficiency. In addition, Customs officials, together with trademark representatives in Thailand, have seized a large number of products that violate trademarks.