Police seize 132,000 pairs of fake contact lenses in warehouse raid
Police seized 132,000 pairs of fake contact lenses in a warehouse raid in Thailand.
The Consumer Protection Police Division and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officers stormed the facility near Bangkok on September 10 as part of a crackdown on substandard health products being sold online.
The investigation began after authorities discovered an online shop advertising unregistered contact lenses at suspiciously low prices.
Officers traced the products to a warehouse used to store and distribute the goods to customers across Thailand.
The lenses were allegedly produced below required manufacturing standards and came from unknown sources, raising concerns over their safety and effectiveness.
When police entered the warehouse with a search warrant, they found thousands of unregistered health and beauty products. The haul included 117,839 contact lenses, 592 vitamin products and 14,289 cosmetic items without Thai-language labels.
In total, 132,720 items worth more than 4.7 million baht (£108,000) were seized and handed to investigators for legal proceedings.
A Chinese man named Qin allegedly confessed to acting as the warehouse caretaker.
He allegedly admitted that the products had been imported from China before being stored at the warehouse and dispatched to Thai customers. The operation had reportedly been running for around three years.
Authorities said the operation violated Thailand's Medical Device, Drug and Cosmetics Acts, including the sale of unregistered or unauthorised medical products, drugs and cosmetics, as well as cosmetics without Thai-language labels.
Police Lieutenant General Natthasak Chaowanasai, commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, urged consumers to check health products carefully before buying.
He said: 'They should buy from pharmacies, medical supply stores or trustworthy retailers, and the stores' authorisation should be verified on the FDA website before purchase.
‘This applies particularly to contact lenses, which come into direct contact with the eyes.
‘If their origin, manufacturing standards and storage processes are unknown, using them may cause allergic reactions or infections, severely impacting eye health.
‘Furthermore, any person illegally selling unauthorised medical devices is warned to cease such actions immediately.
‘If discovered, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'
FDA secretary-general Supattra Boonserm echoed the sentiment, saying: 'In this case, multiple categories of illegal products were found, including medical devices, drugs and cosmetics.
‘Contact lenses, in particular, are medical devices that come into direct contact with the eyes and must therefore strictly comply with the quality, standards and safety regulations prescribed by law.
‘Purchasing products from unreliable sources or relying solely on cheap prices may result in receiving uninspected products and increasing health risks.
‘We urge the public to purchase health products from trustworthy sources and verify the Thai labelling, manufacturing or importing details, and official FDA authorisation information before purchasing, especially when buying through online channels.
‘If they find any unauthorised products, products lacking Thai labelling or products with untraceable origins, they should not be used and may be reported to the FDA for further investigation and legal action.'
