Thai police seize counterfeit items

Police in Bangkok have arrested two drivers who delivered nearly 7000 counterfeit items to Lumpini Park.

Police chief Sanit Mahathavorn says the two drivers were taken into custody after a routine search of the parked bus.

Hat Thongbu from Chainat and Niran Damthunghong, from Aranyaprathet, both 47, had hidden the goods in a bus they had driven from the Rong Kleua market in Aranyaprathet, near the border with Cambodia.

The alleged fake designer goods included bags, watches, clothes, shoes and glasses carrying such labels as Adidas, Casio, Chanel, Chaps and Ekko.

Mahathavorn says the drivers told officers they had been paid 10,000 baht (US$285) for the delivery and had done this kind of thing many times before over many years.

Police say the goods were worth around 5 million baht and were set to be delivered to market traders in the capital.

Some foreigners seemed bemused by the arrests, with one member of Thai Visa Forum saying: “Can’t let Cambodian-made pirated goods compete with Thai-made pirated goods. Excellent police work!”