Bangkok Police conducted a raid on counterfeit band name products at a store on the third floor of MBK shopping mall in Bangkok today and seized goods worth over 5 million baht. The store was reported to be operated by an Indian mafia gang called Babu.
The Department of Intellectual Property Protection was alerted to the activities of the Babu gang, who were reportedly smuggling and selling counterfeit brand name products, including trainers, bags, clothes, and watches, at the MBK Shopping Mall near the National Stadium BTS Station in Bangkok.
According to Thai media reports, the Babu gang rented a unit on the third floor of the mall to store and distribute their products. They operated both retail and wholesale, with more than 30 shops in the mall and nearby areas buying counterfeit products from the gang for resale.
The gang reportedly deceived their customers by claiming that the products were imported directly from an outlet abroad, resulting in lower prices compared to official stores.
During the raid, the police confiscated 591 pairs of counterfeit trainers and numerous other fake products, which were estimated to be worth over 5 million baht.
Two Indian men, who had been hired as storage operators, informed police that their shop sold counterfeit goods to sellers at prices ranging between 2,000 to 8,000 baht, depending on each product’s popularity.
The two store employees were charged with Section 110 of the Trademark Act for importing products with counterfeit trademarks for sale. The penalty is imprisonment for up to four years, a fine of up to 400,000 baht, or both.
While the identities of the other members of the Babu gang have not yet been disclosed by officers, further investigations into the gang’s financial transactions will be conducted to identify and apprehend the entire network.
Last month, officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division raided a warehouse in the Don Mueng district of Bangkok, which was owned by a Chinese man, and seized fake phones and electronic devices worth over 20 million baht.
Last week, eight police officers from the Ang Thong Police Station conducted a raid at a market in the Ang Thong province and discovered several vendors selling fake phone cases. Three police officers ended up being attacked by more than 30 vendors when they seized the product and prosecuted vendors.
