Online beauty bargain trap uncovered in Samut Sakhon. Six foreigners arrested after police raid two warehouses storing fake branded cosmetics sold on TikTok, Lazada and Shopee. Discount campaigns and free gifts helped lure Thai buyers. Owners sought.
Police smashed a counterfeit cosmetics racket in Samut Sakhon on Friday, raiding two warehouses supplying cheap fake branded products through TikTok, Lazada and Shopee. Six foreigners were arrested, including one Chinese national, three Burmese nationals and two unregistered individuals. Investigators uncovered a sales operation exploiting 9.9 and 10.10 promotions, free delivery and gifts to deceive Thai buyers. Large quantities of counterfeit merchandise were seized. Meanwhile, police sealed both warehouses and pursued the unidentified owners over trademark offences and illegal employment.
Thai Immigration Police raided two warehouses in Samut Sakhon on Friday, October 9, uncovering a substantial counterfeit cosmetics distribution operation. Six foreign nationals were arrested, including one Chinese national, three Burmese nationals and two people without registered legal status.
Police seized large quantities of counterfeit cosmetics and other merchandise bearing fake trademarks. The products were being sold cheaply to the Thai public through TikTok, Lazada and Shopee. Investigators also uncovered aggressive online promotions offering discounted prices, free delivery and complimentary gifts.
Notably, the sellers exploited major online shopping campaigns to attract customers seeking inexpensive branded cosmetics. Both warehouses were sealed as police pursued the merchandise owners and those responsible for the distribution operation.
Police trace cheap counterfeit cosmetics sold online to two warehouses supplying customers across Thailand
The raids followed an Immigration Bureau investigation into the storage and online distribution of counterfeit branded cosmetics. Officers identified two warehouses in Na Di subdistrict, Mueang Samut Sakhon district, as suspected distribution centres.
According to investigators, the business relied on popular online platforms to reach Thai consumers. Merchandise was advertised at reduced prices, often accompanied by promotional offers designed to increase sales. In particular, sellers exploited the 9.9 and 10.10 shopping campaigns.
These promotions included free shipping, complimentary products and discounted merchandise presented as genuine branded goods. Police said the offers were intended to convince customers that the cosmetics were legitimate.
The investigation led officers to warehouses numbered 7 and 8 on Bang Pla Road. Both premises were subsequently targeted under search warrants issued by Samut Sakhon Provincial Court. Police identified the location as 37/33 Bang Pla Road, Na Di subdistrict, Mueang Samut Sakhon district.
The warehouses were used to store merchandise, prepare orders and dispatch products purchased online. Furthermore, investigators linked the premises to sales conducted through TikTok, Lazada and Shopee. The inquiry therefore covered both the counterfeit merchandise and the individuals handling its distribution.
Senior Immigration Bureau officers direct Samut Sakhon raids targeting counterfeit cosmetics warehouses
The operation was directed by Police Lieutenant General Nophasil Phoolsawat, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau. He ordered senior immigration officers to investigate the suspected counterfeit distribution network.
Deputy Commissioner Police Major General Thanit Thaiwatcharamas also supervised the operation. Meanwhile, Police Major General Sarawut Khonyai, Commander of the Immigration Bureau’s Investigation Division, led the enforcement action.
The investigation involved officers from the central Immigration Bureau and Samut Sakhon provincial immigration personnel. Consequently, the raids brought together several senior officers responsible for immigration enforcement and criminal investigations.
The operation also involved Police Colonel Danphrai Kaewwehol, Deputy Commander of the Immigration Bureau’s Investigation Division. Police Colonel Surasak Surinngkaew and Police Colonel Chalermchon Laemthong, both deputy commanders, participated. In addition, Police Colonel Chay Panakit, an investigation superintendent, joined the operation.
Police Colonel Sumet Jenwongpithak, Superintendent of the Samut Sakhon Provincial Immigration Office, worked alongside central investigators. Together, the officers conducted the searches under court authorisation following the Immigration Bureau investigation.
Court warrants lead police to fake branded cosmetics stored for dispatch through major shopping platforms
Before entering the premises, police obtained two search warrants from Samut Sakhon Provincial Court. These were numbered 590/2569 and 591/2569, both dated October 9, 2026. The warrants authorised searches of warehouses numbered 7 and 8 at the Bang Pla Road address.
Armed with the court orders, immigration investigators entered both premises on Friday. Inside, officers discovered substantial quantities of cosmetics and other merchandise carrying counterfeit or imitated trademarks. The seized products included cosmetics presented as established brands. Police also recovered other goods bearing trademarks which investigators identified as fake.
The seized merchandise was linked to an online distribution operation serving Thai customers. Investigators reported that products were prepared and dispatched following purchases through major online platforms. Crucially, TikTok, Lazada and Shopee were identified as the principal sales channels.
The cosmetics were marketed cheaply, with sellers offering prices intended to attract customers seeking branded products. At the same time, promotional campaigns encouraged additional purchases through free shipping and complimentary gifts. Police said the merchandise was presented as legitimate despite the counterfeit products discovered during the raids.
Discounts and free gifts drive online sales as warehouses prepare counterfeit cosmetics for customers
The sales strategy relied heavily on established online shopping promotions. These included the 9.9 and 10.10 campaigns, which feature discounted merchandise across major platforms. According to police, the sellers used these events to attract Thai consumers seeking inexpensive cosmetics.
Reduced prices were combined with free delivery and complimentary merchandise. Moreover, the promotions were intended to persuade buyers that the products were genuine. Investigators identified this combination of discounted goods and promotional incentives as a central feature of the operation.
The warehouses served as storage and dispatch points for merchandise sold through these online channels. Investigators reported that the suspects were involved in preparing and shipping products to customers. The operation therefore extended beyond advertising counterfeit goods online.
It also involved physical premises where merchandise was stored and orders were processed. However, the available police reports do not establish that cosmetics were manufactured at either warehouse. Instead, the evidence described by investigators concerns storage, preparation and distribution. The origin of the counterfeit merchandise has not been confirmed.
Police identify online sales channels and arrest six foreign nationals working at Samut Sakhon warehouses
The investigation has not established that TikTok, Lazada or Shopee knowingly participated in the counterfeit trade. Rather, police identified the platforms as sales channels used by those operating the suspected distribution network.
The goods were marketed to the Thai public through online listings and promotional offers. Separately, investigators are examining the merchandise and the commercial arrangements behind its distribution. The available reports do not identify the individual online accounts used to sell the products. Nor have police disclosed the number of customers who purchased merchandise linked to the warehouses.
During the searches, officers arrested six foreign nationals connected with activities at the premises. The group included one Chinese national and three Burmese nationals. Additionally, two other individuals were identified as having no registered nationality or legal status.
Police have not publicly disclosed the suspects’ names in the available reports. Investigators have also not separately detailed each person’s role in the warehouse operation. Nevertheless, the arrests exposed suspected breaches of Thailand’s immigration and employment regulations.
Investigators reported that foreign nationals were working at the warehouses without the necessary employment authorisation. Some were also accused of violating conditions governing their employment.
Foreign workers face employment charges as police pursue owners of counterfeit cosmetics merchandise
Specifically, police identified suspected offences involving changes of employer without notifying the relevant officials. Under the applicable requirements, foreign workers must report certain changes involving employers within 15 days.
The suspects consequently face proceedings concerning working without permits and failing to comply with employment conditions. However, police have not separately specified the precise charges against each individual.
The Immigration Bureau confirmed that employment-related proceedings would follow the arrests. In parallel, investigators began preparing criminal complaints concerning the counterfeit cosmetics and other merchandise recovered during the raids. These complaints involve the sale of counterfeit cosmetics and offences relating to fake or imitated trademarks.
Police also identified possession and distribution of trademark-infringing merchandise as matters under investigation. Importantly, the criminal inquiry extends beyond the six foreign nationals arrested at the premises. Investigators are also pursuing the owners of the seized merchandise.
Police have not publicly identified those owners or established the complete ownership arrangements behind the business. Furthermore, investigators have not confirmed whether the Chinese national directed the operation or held any ownership interest.
Police examine seized goods and investigate warehouse ownership as the scale of sales remains unknown
The roles of the three Burmese nationals have not been separately detailed. Similarly, police have not established whether the two individuals without registered legal status controlled any part of the sales operation.
For now, the arrests concern foreign nationals linked to warehouse activities. Investigators are separately examining responsibility for the counterfeit merchandise and its distribution.
Following the searches, officers secured both warehouses and seized the merchandise for further examination. The confiscated products were subsequently sent for forensic examination. Investigators are seeking to establish the precise nature of the goods and the offences connected with their distribution.
Meanwhile, police are examining the commercial arrangements through which the merchandise reached customers. The investigation also concerns the owners of the products recovered during Friday’s raids. However, no further arrests have been announced in the available reports.
The total quantity and financial value of the seized merchandise have not been disclosed. Police have also not announced how many customers purchased products linked to the warehouses. Likewise, no figures have been released concerning the operation’s revenue or duration.
Investigators have not established whether the counterfeit cosmetics were produced in Thailand or imported. The available reports also contain no confirmed evidence of manufacturing activities at either location. Instead, the premises were identified as warehouses involved in storing and dispatching merchandise.
Investigators find no confirmed wider network as online promotions drive sales of counterfeit cosmetics
The presence of one Chinese national, three Burmese nationals and two individuals without registered legal status forms part of the investigation. However, police have not announced evidence establishing a wider international counterfeit distribution network.
Nor have investigators disclosed the commercial relationships between the arrested workers and the merchandise owners. As a result, the inquiry remains focused on the two warehouses, the seized products and those connected with their distribution. The Immigration Bureau is pursuing employment-related proceedings alongside the counterfeit merchandise investigation.
The police operation identified a suspected distribution business relying on inexpensive cosmetics and aggressive online promotions. Its reported sales methods centred on discounted branded merchandise offered through TikTok, Lazada and Shopee.
Free shipping and online sales campaigns draw Thai customers as police pursue counterfeit cosmetics owners
Additionally, sellers used free shipping and complimentary gifts to encourage purchases. The popular 9.9 and 10.10 campaigns were among the promotional events exploited by the operation.
Investigators said these offers were designed to convince Thai customers that the merchandise was legitimate. However, the goods recovered during the searches included substantial quantities of counterfeit cosmetics and products bearing fake trademarks.
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The October 9 raids resulted in six arrests and the seizure of merchandise from two Samut Sakhon warehouses. Meanwhile, investigators are pursuing complaints against those responsible for the counterfeit goods. The confiscated products remain subject to examination as police establish the offences connected with their sale and distribution.
Both warehouses were sealed following the searches. Further proceedings will address the immigration and employment violations involving the arrested foreign nationals. Separately, police continue tracing the ownership and distribution arrangements behind merchandise marketed cheaply to Thai consumers through major online shopping platforms.
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