Bangkok Police Raid Uncovers Cannabis Snack Operation in Toilet-Based Lab
Bangkok police have dismantled an illegal cannabis snack operation using toilets as mixing stations, following a toddler's hospitalization from consuming a cannabis jelly
Key Points
- 1Bangkok police raided a cannabis snack lab using toilets for mixing
- 2A toddler's hospitalization prompted the police investigation
- 3Nearly one million baht of cannabis products were seized
- 4The suspect claimed to be an employee following employer's instructions
- 5Authorities are pursuing charges for mislabelled and controlled substances
In a startling discovery, Bangkok police have dismantled an illicit cannabis snack production operation where toilets were inappropriately used as mixing stations. This raid, conducted by the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD), came in the wake of a distressing incident involving a toddler who was hospitalized after consuming a cannabis-infused jelly. The child exhibited symptoms of drowsiness, and medical examinations confirmed cannabis toxicity alongside acute sinusitis, prompting urgent police action
The investigation led officers to a three-storey house located in the Bang Chan subdistrict of Khlong Sam Wa district in Bangkok, which had been converted into an unauthorized cannabis cultivation and food production site. The operation was responsible for producing and selling cannabis-infused jellies and cookies online. Police Major General Pattanasak Bupphasuwan, the CPPD Commander, described the conditions at the site as unsanitary, with toilets being improperly utilized for mixing and testing cannabis formulations
During the raid, police seized a substantial haul of cannabis and food products valued at nearly one million baht. This included 230 heart-shaped cannabis jellies, 162 cannabis cookies, 35 bags of dried cannabis buds weighing 100 grams each, and 54 cannabis plants with inflorescences. The suspect, a 22-year-old identified only as Suthiphon, claimed to be just an employee tasked with growing plants, mixing recipes, and packaging products under his employer's direction. He confessed to selling these products for approximately two years
Authorities have charged the suspect with producing and selling mislabelled food and selling controlled herbs without permission, offenses that carry potential fines and up to two years of imprisonment. Samples from the raid have been sent to the Department of Medical Sciences for further analysis, and additional charges may be filed if drug derivatives are confirmed. Dr. Somruek Chungsaman, Director-General of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, emphasized the danger these snacks pose to children, advocating for strict measures to prevent such products from reaching vulnerable populations
Pol. Maj. Gen. Pattanasak has assured the public of continued enforcement against cannabis misuse, particularly when it endangers children. He vowed that those involved in such illegal activities would face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, highlighting the seriousness with which authorities view the intersection of cannabis products and public safety