Thailand seizes 2 million herbal inhalers worth over $4.8m from illegal factories
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The contaminated Hong Thai herbal inhalers found at four unauthorised facilities come in various formulations and production batches.
PHOTO: FDA THAI/FACEBOOK
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BANGKOK – Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with the Consumer Protection Police Division and Samut Sakhon Provincial Public Health Office, has seized more than two million herbal inhalers from four illegal manufacturing sites.
They are worth more than 120 million baht (S$4.8 million) in total.
The raid followed laboratory findings that Hong Thai herbal inhalers were contaminated with harmful microorganisms
Police investigations revealed that although the company had obtained a manufacturing licence for a Bangkok factory located in Bang Phai, Bang Khae district, it had secretly produced the herbal products elsewhere without FDA approval.
This is a serious violation of public health laws.
On Oct 30, the authorities conducted raids at four illegal production and storage locations, confiscating nine types of herbal products totalling more than 2,350,000 items, with an estimated value exceeding 120 million baht.
FDA secretary-general Supatra Boonserm stressed that entrepreneurs must comply strictly with the law.
She warned that producing or selling counterfeit herbal medicines carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 1 million baht, or both.
She said the FDA will urgently initiate a recall of all counterfeit or unsafe herbal inhalers linked to the case.
Samples have been sent to the Department of Medical Sciences for further analysis and results will be announced soon.
“The contaminated Hong Thai herbal inhalers found at these four unauthorised facilities come in various formulations and production batches,” she said.
“Products made in such illegal sites cannot be guaranteed for safety or quality and may contain hazardous substances harmful to health.”
She urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing herbal products and to check carefully for signs of irregularity or unauthorised labelling.
Consumers who encounter suspicious or unlicensed products are encouraged to report them via the FDA hotline on 1556 or at provincial public health offices nationwide. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
