Police have raided a cannabis shop in Pattaya that was illegally selling e-cigarettes and foreign cigarettes, seizing 110 disposable vape devices and 216 packs of imported tobacco, with an estimated value of 60,000 baht.
The suspect admitted to the offences, saying the products yielded profits three to five times higher than their cost, police said.
The raid on the Dr Weed shop on Pattaya Beach Road in the resort town was carried out by local police and officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB).
According to investigators, the shop was using its cannabis business as a front to sell illegal tobacco and vaping products to tourists and young people. The items were found hidden inside the premises during a search.
Sales clerk Sukanya Hongsaphan, 32, from Maha Sarakham, said she had been working at the shop for only a week, earning 14,000 baht per month. She said the shop had been operating for over a year under the ownership of a man known as “Get”.
She admitted to selling the e-cigarettes as there was high demand among teenagers, along with significant profit margins.
She was charged with selling tobacco products without a licence and failing to display a permit. She was handed over to Pattaya police for further legal proceedings.
Source: Bangkok Post