“Anutin” leads the announcement of the results of the operation “Singha Subdues Smoke”, seizing cigarettes and illegal liquor.

Songkhla, The Interior Minister led a press conference on the special operations team of the Department of Provincial Administration, joining forces with the Songkhla Provincial Police and the Excise Department Region 9 to launch the 'Singha Subdue Smoke' operation, raiding and seizing 7 illegal cigarette and liquor locations throughout Hat Yai City, with a total fine of over 313 million baht for illegal liquor and cigarettes and 32.9 million baht in evidence. Today (13 July 67) at 14.00 hrs. at Hat Yai District Office, Songkhla Province, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, held a press conference on the arrest of illegal cigarettes and alcohol in the Hat Yai area, with Mr. Arsit Sampantharat, Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, Mr. Somnuk Promkhieo, Governor of Songkhla Province, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chaowalit Liangsupong, Commander of Songkhla Provincial Police, along with village headmen, members of the Volunteer Defense Corps, officers from Hat Yai Police Station and Kho Hong Police Station welcoming them. Mr. Anutin said that this arrest is considered an operation called 'Singh Sayob Khuan' which was initiated by legal cigarette and liquor business operators in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, who complained to the Ministry of Interior that they were suffering from illegal cigarette and liquor shops selling at prices lower than the market price, causing hardship for law-abiding traders and also causing the state to lose billions of baht in tax revenue each year. 'When I learned of the complaint, I ordered Mr. Suttipong Juljarern, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, and Mr. Arsit Sampantharat, Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, to send a special task force of the Department of Provincial Administration to go undercover in the area for more than half a month until they saw the clear extent of the wrongdoings and ordered a carpet operation to crack down on illegal cigarettes and illegal liquor throughou t Hat Yai City at 7 locations simultaneously: 3 groups that opened as front grocery stores, 2 mobile warehouses, 1 private parcel delivery shop, and 1 shophouse used as a storage area,' said Mr. Anutin. Mr. Anutin said that from the report of the special operations team, the gang has adjusted its sales methods to deceive and avoid officials by not stocking illegal goods in stores or warehouses, but has adjusted its methods by stocking illegal goods in vehicles that have been converted into warehouses and can be moved, called mobile warehouses. It was also found that the gang uses the ant army method, taking advantage of the darkness at night to smuggle illegal goods and distribute them to grocery store fronts every day, hoping to avoid and reduce the risk of being seized and arrested by officials. As for the delivery method, they have opened a private parcel delivery shop as a front, arranging for staff to work shifts and sleep in the shop to receive online orders and pack products, using the private parcel delivery process to distribute illegal goods to destinations nationwide. The results of this arrest resulted in the seizure of a large amount of evidence, arresting 5 suspects, 15 cars, and importantly, more than 120 bottles of illegal liquor, more than 4,646,000 cigarettes or more than 232,300 packs, and more than 19,000 e-cigarettes. The evidence of cigarettes and liquor that were not subject to excise tax will be sent to the responsible Excise Office for examination. As for the vehicles used in the offense, the Excise Officer has the authority to seize them, and the evidence of e-cigarettes will be sent to the responsible Customs Office. The total value of the evidence is 32,910,000 baht, and the total value of the fines for illegal liquor and cigarettes is 313,278,100 baht. Mr. Anutin said that selling illegal cigarettes and illegal liquor is not worth anything. It is just a matter of hiding and selling illegal goods. However, government officials will still find and arrest them. I would like to inform the people who are thinking of buying illicit liquor or illicit cigarettes that the images of the evidence that you see that the officers have seized are almost 100% fake cigarettes and fake liquor, which are harmful to the health of both yourself and the people around you because you don't know how the manufacturing process is, whether there are any chemicals mixed in or not. I would like the people to always think that no matter what kind of cigarette you smoke, it is harmful to your health and the people around you. And if it is fake cigarettes, it will be even more harmful to your health, countless. 'The punishment for these crimes is severe and will cause hardship and separation from the family. It is not worth the crime that must be faced before and after the prosecution. I ask that those who think of committing crimes and breaking the law do not think of doing so. I would like to emphasize that we are ready to suppress all types of wrongdoings, so that there is no way to escape the eyes of the authori ties. We will arrest, suppress, crush, and there will be no clearing at all, as long as we are still here,' said Mr. Anutin. Source: Thai News Agency