Police have asked the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) to look into the money trail of eight suspects arrested in a police raid on Saturday for involvement in the online sale of fake cosmetics and weight loss products.
Police contacted Amlo after finding the average transaction of the gang's account exceeded 100 million baht.
The move followed a raid starting at 5.30am yesterday in which the Metropolitan Police Bureau sent over 100 police officers to 13 targeted locations.
The detained suspects were identified as Wannapha Phuangson, Korn Phungson, Kasit Worachington, Maiyasit Sawangthammarat, Phinithi Tiranawatthuphon, Thananyaphan Boonyosith, Mathuros Daengsamrit and Treechada Jaisabai.
Police received a file of complaints accusing the group of using a bogus Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certificate to sell sub-standard skin care and weight loss products online, according to deputy national police chief Pol Gen Wirachai Sommetta.
The police's preliminary investigation found the suspects sold products with the trademarks Apple Slim, Slim Milk, Snow Milk, Fern, Magic Skin, Shinoshi, Treechada and Mezzo. Each of these carry either a fake FDA certificate or the wrong type of FDA certificates, according to police.
A source who asked not to be named said The Mezzo products claimed to feature sheep placenta as the main ingredient on social media, but authorities found it mostly consisted of a soybean extract produced in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Mr Maiyasit, one of the eight suspects, told investigators he was not involved in the manufacturing of these products -- he only bought them from fellow suspect Mr Kasit.
Mr Maiyasit further claimed that he was only an instructor providing training to people at a salesperson's training centre, or a "learn-to-become-rich school". At least 500 new customers applied for company membership to sell these products, according to the police's preliminary study.