Fake FDA-labelled magnesium supplements seized in warehouse raid in Bangkok
Fake FDA-labelled magnesium supplements were seized in a warehouse raid in Thailand.
Officers raided the warehouse in Bangkok on May 21 following an investigation into online health product sales.
The probe focused on 'Vteay Magnesium Glycinate + Zinc' supplements which allegedly used a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) serial number that actually belonged to a different product.
The FDA had previously issued a public warning about the supplement before police gathered evidence and obtained a search warrant.
During the raid, officers seized 1,127 magnesium supplement bottles and 329 containers of unregistered herbal products.
Authorities also found 13,438 cosmetic products, including toothpaste, facial masks, hand creams and hair conditioners that lacked registration numbers, did not contain proper Thai-language labels, or displayed incomplete and incorrect information.
In total, officers said they seized more than two million baht of fake items.
Officials said the warehouse had been rented by a Chinese national who promoted and allegedly sold counterfeit products through online platforms.
The goods were reportedly smuggled from overseas and stored at the warehouse before being packaged and delivered to customers in Thailand.
Authorities estimate that the operation sold around 3,000 products per day and had been running for around one year.
The Vteay Magnesium Glycinate + Zinc product claimed to contain 600 milligrams of magnesium, exceeding the maximum recommended daily intake of 350 milligrams.
As a result, authorities classified the product as a medicine under the Drug Act.
The FDA said those responsible could face charges for selling pharmaceutical products without a licence, distributing unregistered drugs and herbal products, and selling cosmetics without registration numbers or Thai-language labels.
Suphatra Boonsearm, FDA Secretary-General, said: 'Consumers should not rely solely on FDA registration numbers shown in advertisements and should always verify product authorisation through official FDA channels. Products that lack Thai-language labelling, display no FDA registration number, or contain incorrect information should not be consumed and should be returned for a refund.'
