Sting operation leads to arrest of Vietnamese for hoarding face masks, gels

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Sting operation leads to arrest of Vietnamese for hoarding face masks, gels

By THE NATION

 

 

Six Vietnamese nationals were arrested by Immigration Police for allegedly hoarding alcohol-based hand gels and sanitary face masks, Immigration Police Chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang said on Tuesday (March 31).

 

They were arrested at a house in Pattanakarn Soi 29, in Bangkok's Suan Luang district. The police reportedly found 142,500 face masks and 12,000 bottles of hand gels, 13 barrels of alcohol, three gel making machines, two pistols and a small amount of methamphetamine and MDMA.

 

“We organised a sting to buy a carton of face masks from the suspects at Bt32,500 or Bt15 per piece and arrested them in Pattanakarn Soi 29," Sompong said.

 

 

"We investigated their place of operation at house No 141/437 in the same soi. The house was modified to be a travel agency office registered under the name An An Bangkok Travel Co Ltd,” Sompong said.

 

The arrested suspects included two females -- Tran Tui An (39) and Nguyen Ti Hwian (34), and four males -- Ho Tai Duon (35), Nguyen Van Hung (35), Huong Sian Sung (34), Nguyen Dui Nam (32).

 

 

Tran Tui An, who is listed as the owner of the company, reportedly told the police that she had opened a tour guide company for about 7-8 months but the business was down due to decreasing tourists, so she contacted her friend in Vietnam to import face masks and alcohol-based gels to sell in Thailand.

 

The six suspects face several charges, including hoarding controlled goods, selling controlled products at inflated prices, possessing drugs, possessing firearms without licence, and working without a permit.

 

Source: http://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385171

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-01

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[PatOngo]

Xinchao em, you're under arrest!

[RJRS1301]

When will the seized goods either make it in hospitals or onto the legitimate open market?

I mean the masks and hand gel

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by RJRS1301

[ezzra]

No wonder that in such times of crisis all the worms crawl out the woodworks to to take advantage on other people and their host country, these people have to be dealt with harshly...

[tomazbodner]

Inflated prices is relative. You don't know how much they had to pay for each mask they imported. If they paid 12 baht per mask and sold for 15? I am checking sites in China now and they claim 50% off for ~1000 baht for a box of 50. That's 20 baht or so per mask. Standard, surgical masks. KN95 can be up to 300 baht each.

[jackdd]

15THB is an inflated price?

Big C is selling masks for more than that, should i report them to police?

[Andre0720]

On ‎4‎/‎3‎/‎2020 at 8:49 AM, jackdd said:

15THB is an inflated price?

Big C is selling masks for more than that, should i report them to police?

Quite so.

The washable masks that I was buying in town at 25 bahts, were selling at 159 bahts in these small booths of Big C.