Police arrest man selling illegal medicine for gonorrhea treatment
Published date: Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:20:59 +0700
An online seller was arrested for allegedly distributing medicine illegally in Thailand.
Athik, 31, reportedly sold gonorrhea and chlamydia medicines through his Facebook page despite not having a license.
Police arrested Athik at a university dorm in Khon Kaen province on September 4 after complaints from his customers that the drugs were defective.
Police Lieutenant General Worawat Wattanakornbancha, commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, said: 'Currently, there are many patients suffering sexually transmitted diseases who suffered side effects after consuming drugs they ordered online. These are prescription medicines that are classified as dangerous and must be handled by licensed pharmacists and sold in legal drug stores.'
Officers seized more antibiotics, including Sixime Capsules and NL Doxy Capsules, bottled liquids labelled ‘Podophyllin Paint Co', 4,000 blue paracetamol pills, and Athik's phone which he used to communicate with customers.
Athik reportedly admitted to owning the Facebook drug store, through which he earned up to 4,000 THB (90.84 GBP) a day. He said he sourced the medications from a pharmacy in Khon Kaen province.
He was charged with selling prescription drugs without permission, advertising drugs without permission, and operating as a pharmacist without a license.
He may face up to five years in jail and a fine of up to 10,000 THB (227.12 GBP) for allegedly violating the Drug Act of 1967, and an additional fine of up to 100,000 THB (2271.2 GBP) for advertising the illegal sale of such drugs.
He was arrested amid a crackdown on illegal clinics and quack doctors in Thailand.
In late August, the Central Investigation Bureau raided four unlicensed clinics and detained five quack doctors in Phuket and Rayong provinces.
On September 9, British beautician Thomas Foley, 42, was nabbed for allegedly running an illegal beauty clinic that caused severe allergic reactions and paralysis in a customer in Surat Thani province.
An American quack doctor, Darius, 62, was arrested for allegedly selling magic mushrooms to treat depression in Bangkok in September.
