Police have seized more than 300,000 illicit cosmetic and food supplement products over the past five days in raids at Don Mueang New Market, including another raid Sunday.
The market was ordered to shut down for 15 days on land encroachment charges. The fifth raid within a week was conducted by 700 officials from the Royal Thai Police and Ministry of Public Health.
Sunday's raid would be the last, said deputy national police chief Wirachai Songmetta, who led the raid.
Police since last Wednesday have completed searching 259 shops and found 186 shops selling illicit cosmetic and food supplement goods.
Seven unauthorised cosmetic factories were found to have produced fake and substandard products on the market premises.
As well as illicit cosmetic and food supplement products charges, the authority also pounced on the market over the illegal encroachment case.
The authority ordered the Don Mueang New Market Development Co market operator to close for 15 days.
Authorities had found two building structures encroaching on the Prem Prachakorn canal and a public road.
Among those structures is a two-storey building that encroached part of Prem Prachakorn canal for two decades. The building serves as an office of the company.
Police also found a box of name cards of Santhana Prayoonrat, a former deputy superintendent at the Special Branch Police Division. His senator application card was also found. Pol Lt Col Santhana is an adviser to the market.
He had a dispute with police during the fourth raid on Saturday.
Don Mueang New Market Development Co face five charges, mainly related to encroaching on the public canal and public land. Pol Lt Col Santhana also faces charges relating to insulting an officer as he tried to obstruct the raid.
As well as the encroachment, the inspection also found the unauthorised extension of some buildings, which breaches the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
The money laundering law applies to those who leased the land from the state and made a profit from it. The penalty carries a maximum prison term of 10 years, said Pol Gen Wirachai.
He said the market sat on 18 rai of land owned by the Treasury Department which has received a monthly payment of 63,000 from the firm.
Witthaya Neetitham, director of the Anti-Money Laundering Office's Legal Affairs, said assets acquired illegally would be confiscated from those found to be involved.
The Treasury Department said it will terminate all land lease contracts with the company.
Theerathorn Chamsanit, director of the department's legal office, said the department would spend one month examining all leases. The department would help affected vendors by providing them new leases.
Don Muang District Office chief Wandee Sonchai said the agency was examining all legal details in order to have all illegal structures declared off-limits. Currently, vendors and the public are able to enter the market premises.
- BACKGROUND: Regulators blame internet advertising