Phuket —
Officials launched a crackdown on an illegal cigarette outlet in Phuket City, confiscating more than 7,500 contraband cigarettes and detaining a 16‑year‑old girl found managing the shop.
Officials told the Phuket Express that the operation, carried out this week by Muang Phuket District officers, followed intelligence gathered from social media reports. Investigators secured a search warrant from the Phuket Provincial Court before moving in on the premises located along Sri Suthat Road in Talad Yai.
Inside, authorities discovered 378 packs of untaxed cigarettes, equivalent to 7,560 sticks, along with 38 other items of evidence. Officials filed charges related to possession and sale of untaxed goods, as well as violations of customs law.
The young shop attendant was taken into custody and handed over to Phuket City Police investigators along with the seized evidence. Officials confirmed that her parents were notified and that all procedures are being conducted in strict compliance with child protection and juvenile justice regulations.
