Wichit –
Phuket police have dismantled a major illegal cigarette storage operation, seizing more than 10,000 packs of untaxed foreign brands during a raid on a rental property in Wichit Subdistrict, Mueang District.
At 7:30 a.m. on July 12th, 2026, Pol. Col. Somsak Thongkliang, Superintendent of Wichit Police Station, joined forces with Pol. Col. Prawit Engchuan, Superintendent of the Crime Suppression Division, Region 8, to lead investigative teams in storming a house on Chao Fah West Road. The operation followed intelligence from concerned citizens who reported suspicious activity linked to contraband cigarette sales.
The raid was an extension of surveillance conducted the previous evening, July 11th, when officers observed two individuals leaving the property in a suspicious manner. A search of a black backpack carried by one suspect revealed 120 packs (2,400 sticks) of untaxed foreign cigarettes. The suspects, identified as Ms. Sopit, 28, and Mr. Somnuek, 27, admitted to hiding additional stock inside the residence.
A later search uncovered 10,680 more packs (213,600 sticks) stored in cardboard boxes, bringing the total seizure to 10,800 packs (216,000 sticks). Both suspects confessed ownership of the contraband and were charged under the Excise Tax Act (2017) and the Customs Act (2017) for possession and distribution of untaxed goods and smuggled products.
