Illegal weight-loss pill factory raided in Nonthaburi after fatal ‘Baschi’ supplement poisoning

Metropolitan police investigators, in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Thailand, have raided an illegal weight-loss pill factory in Nonthaburi province.

The joint operation was announced at a press briefing today by Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Supamas Isarabhakdi, alongside Pol. Gen. Samran Nualma, deputy commissioner general of the Royal Thai Police and TFDA Secretary General Supattra Boonserm.

The raid targeted a production facility located inside Thesabarn Soi 41/5 in Bang Mae Nang sub-district of Bang Yai district in Nonthaburi province.

The crackdown follows the tragic death of a young woman in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district in February. She had consumed ‘Baschi’ brand slimming pills, which were later found to contain the hazardous psychotropic substance sibutramine.

After her death, her grieving relatives petitioned the police to locate manufacturing source, to prevent other members of the public from falling victim to the dangerous supplements.

Police intelligence successfully traced the production to Nonthaburi, leading to court-approved search warrants for two separate locations, a manufacturing plant and a warehouse used for storing raw materials and packaging.

During the raids, officers seized heavy machinery, chemical precursors and packaging materials for various weight-loss brands. Three Myanmar nationals, who were overseeing the premises, were taken into custody.

Subsequent laboratory analysis revealed that at least 10 different brands of weight-loss pills produced at the site contained sibutramine, a Category 1 psychotropic substance. While originally used as an obesity treatment, the drug has been banned worldwide due to serious health risks, including a heightened risk of cardiovascular failure, stroke and other potentially fatal side effects.

Authorities are currently mapping out the supply chain so they can apprehend the masterminds financing the operation. Investigators are also scrutinising shipping logs and financial transactions to identify downstream distributors and retailers who purchased the illicit products.

Members of the public who possess information or encounter suspected manufacturing or distribution sites for illegal health products are urged to contact the FDA via its 1556 hotline.