Rong Kluea market flooded with fake goods
A COALITION unit consisting of the Economic Crime Suppression police, Aranyaprathet customs officers and rangers from Ranger Forces Company 1201 seized over 200 sacks of copyright-violated products believed to be prepared for sale during New Year’s Eve, the Thai-language Matichon newspaper reported yesterday (Dec. 15).
The Rong Kluea Market, a famous market in Aranyaprathet district of Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province known for its have-it-all variety of goods at relatively cheap prices, has become a target of the Economic Crime Suppression Unit Commander Pol. Lt. Col. Tossapon Hongthong after he learned about possible smuggling of copyright-violated goods across the neighboring country’s border into Thailand.
These counterfeit goods were to be primarily stored and then distributed among other shops in Rong Kluea Market itself to be sold during New Year’s Eve. It is known that, during that time, a lot of Northeastern people who migrated to work in other big cities like Bangkok like to stop by at the market to shop for gifts, souvenirs, and all sort of things before they travel back to their hometown.
It is also commonly known that fake branded goods are still popular among the shoppers. Many shop owners hence are willing to take the chance to increase their sales by offering these counterfeit goods.
Pol. Lt. Col Tossapon revealed that after he learned about the smuggling, he spread his team throughout the market to secretly monitor any suspicious act. They noticed a freight trike with the number 33 on the side moving in from across the border, carrying full load of sacks, then moving to a commercial unit for rent, no. 185/152 C 25, at the end of Dej Thai Market within the Rong Kluea Market.
After the authorities waited for the freight trike to finish unloading the sacks, they moved in to arrest. However, the rider of the trike (later learned to be a Cambodian) quickly fled into the Cambodian crowd in the area.
The authorities then opened the sacks to discover various clothes, sports apparel, shoes and bags that are all counterfeit of famous brands in a large volume.
They then moved over 200 sacks of all the confiscated goods to the Aranyaprathet customs office for detailed inspection and listing. The value of all the seized products was worth millions of baht.
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Top: Sacks full of fake big-brand products at Aranyaprathet customs office. Photo: Matichon
By Piboon Awasdaruharote
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