After the arrests, police-superintendent Kittisap Thongseewong said his team had found more than 2,000 articles which were mostly imitations of brand-name shoes, clothes, handbags and sunglasses. He carried on by saying the confiscated goods had a street value estimated at THB2 million.
Superintendent Thongseewong noted that the team had caught a break in catching the owners of the shops. He explained that they were normally long gone if they got wind of any impending police raid.
The superintendant said his officers had conducted an initial incognito assessment after receiving a number of complaints that fake designer items were being openly displayed at shops in Patong. The seven arrested shop proprietors are facing two-year jail sentences or THB400,000 fines.
Thai courts have the option of imposing both prison terms and fines on offenders. Patong and Phuket’s shopping options are diverse and locations such as Chillva Market and Jungceylon Shopping Mall more than cater to the needs of visitors looking for a spot of retail therapy.
Phuket Patong shopkeepers nabbed with fake designer goods
News in Asia
A group of Phuket shopkeepers are looking at jail time after being nabbed with copious amounts of fake designer products. The seven were arrested in a police raid on the island’s resort town of Patong yesterday morning.