PATTAYA, Thailand – Two vendors of an illegal herbal infusion mixture were arrested in a late-night operation on January 3, after a task force conducted an undercover purchase of the product in Pattaya City. The herbal mixture, which consists of boiled Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) leaf extract infused with undisclosed medicinal additives, was being sold without official permission and licensing by a group of vendors who targeted youth and adolescents. The concoction, which is claimed to have health benefits, is actually harmful and addictive, according to authorities.
The task force, which comprised of officers from the Pattaya City Police Station and the Narcotics Control Board, launched the operation after receiving a tip-off about the illegal trade. The officers posed as customers and bought the herbal mixture from the vendors, who were operating near the Pattaya Floating Market. The officers then arrested the vendors, identified as Somchai, 35, and Nattaya, 32, and seized their merchandise, which included 20 bottles of the herbal mixture, a pot, a stove, and a scale. The officers also collected samples of the mixture for further analysis.
The vendors confessed that they had been selling the herbal mixture for about six months, and that they obtained the Kratom leaves and the additives from a supplier in Rayong. They said they charged 100 baht per bottle, and that they had many regular customers, especially young people. The vendors were charged with possession and distribution of a Category 5 narcotic, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to 1.5 million baht. They were taken to the Pattaya City Police Station for further legal proceedings.
The operation was part of the authorities’ efforts to crack down on the illegal trade of Kratom and other substances that pose a threat to public health and safety. The authorities warned the public to be wary of such products and to report any suspicious activities to the police.
