Raids target beauty items

A large quantity of beautification products and instruments were seized yesterday in a series of joint raids by police and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agents at three locations in Bangkok.

No suspects were arrested, although some were later identified indirectly at a news conference.

A well-known beauty clinic, which operates all three installations, was not registered either as an importer or licensed practitioner for all the items seized, which are worth about Bt60 million, said FDA secretary-general Phiphat Yingseree.

"A member of this company's board of directors was present during the raids, and admitted to owning the items," he said.

At the first location, in Soi Lat Phrao 101/3, sunblock, skin-readjusting, and whitening lotions with no known production sources were found, either in bottles without labels or with labels without sufficient details required under FDA regulations. A number of lotions were found to contain an illegal substance.

Lotions at another location also on Lat Phrao Road were allegedly distributed to clinics under the same brand. At a warehouse in a housing estate in Bang Kapi district, 10 types of unregistered instruments were allegedly found in large numbers without import documentation.

Among the items were radio-frequency skin-rejuvenation machines, carbon-dioxide laser machines, large LED photon-energy beauty machines, crystal skin-rejuvenation machines, and infra-red-ray-swept venation machines.

FDA deputy secretary-general Srinual Kornkotchakorn called on clients of beauty clinics to check whether instruments they used were certified or legally imported and had been supplied without reference details or certification.