8-1-2025 (BANGKOK) Thai authorities have uncovered an illicit cough syrup manufacturing operation, confiscating approximately 8,900 bottles of counterfeit medicine from a clandestine factory in Nakhon Pathom’s Kamphaeng Saen district.
The joint operation, conducted by local police and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials, revealed a sophisticated counterfeiting ring with an estimated street value of US$2.8 million. Several workers, who had been using the facility as makeshift living quarters, were apprehended during the raid.
This latest enforcement action marks a crucial development in an ongoing investigation that began in August following reports of suspicious pharmaceutical products circulating in local chemists. The operation forms part of a broader crackdown on an organised criminal network that has been operating mobile production facilities across central Thailand.
Detective Chief Inspector Somchai Thongsuk, leading the investigation, told reporters, “These criminals have been playing a cat-and-mouse game, constantly relocating their operations to evade detection. However, this significant seizure represents a major blow to their illegal enterprise.”
The investigation has already yielded several successful operations, including raids on a Bangkok warehouse used for drug storage, a label printing facility in Samut Sakhon, and an office building housing shipping documentation for chemical supplies.
FDA spokesperson Dr Pranee Suthasupa emphasised the potential health risks associated with counterfeit pharmaceuticals. “These fake medicines pose a serious threat to public health. They often contain dangerous substances or incorrect doses that could have severe consequences for unsuspecting consumers,” she warned.
