Police seized 30-million-baht pirated goods at Chiang Mai markets

CHIANG MAI, Sept 13 (TNA) -- About 100 policemen arrested 12 people and seized about 27,000 pirated goods worth about 30 million baht at the well-known Night Bazaar and Anusarn markets in Chiang Mai provincial seat on Wednesday night. They raided 60 shops and warehouses at the markets and seized the products including electrical appliances, loudspeakers, clothing, belts, shoes, eyeglasses and bags. Leading the raids, Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, said the Nigh Bazaar market had been a major source of pirated goods for decades and caused great economic damage. Police would reach the producers and smugglers of the products, would arrest people behind websites selling pirated products, and would impose the anti-money laundering law to tackle them, he said. The Thai government was seriously suppressing pirated goods especially during the high season to ensure that tourists would buy standard products, Pol Maj Gen Surachate said. Witnessing the raids, Kevin Harrington of the American embassy in Bangkok praised the Thai police’s operations and said piracy situations were obviously improving in Thailand. (TNA)