Law enforcement authorities have seized counterfeit medicines and supplements worth an estimated 2.36 million baht from a building in Samut Prakan province.

On Wednesday a policeman patrolling in tambon Pak Nam, Muang district, saw Monchai Tangkaew, 39, and Pimolrat Puriwilai, 36, packing items into white plastic containers through the open door of a rented room on the ground floor of a set of rowhouses.

According to the officer, they two men attempted to flee when they saw him, but were quickly caught.

Inside the room, police later found a large quantity of drugs and dietary supplements, including over 1.2 million pills, along with sticky labels.  Public health officials and a representative from a pharmaceutical company confirmed that they were counterfeit products.

Police said they two suspects made statements that they were just packing and labeling the containers. The supplies were to have been dropped off at a parking lot and picked up by someone later. They were paid one to two baht per container, or a total of about 5,000 baht, for each delivery.

Teerachai Tantineeranart, a representative from British Dispensary, said that even though the containers bear the company's trademark, they have a fake FDA registration number. Mr Teerachai added that some of the drugs confiscated were no longer manufactured by the company.

Rangsan Wongboonnak, a public health pharmacist, said that one of the substances found inside the apartment, methandienone, is a type of steroid which is used to increase appetite, but could also cause growth defects.

The two suspects have been charged with unauthorised distribution of drugs.

Related search: fake drug, counterfeit drugs, Samut Prakan