At least two brokers are facing prosecution for allegedly attempting to export poor-quality durians -- suspected to have originated from a neighbouring country -- to China and falsely labelling them as Thai fruit.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture (DoA) inspected two locations in Chumphon's Lang Suan and Thung Tako districts where durians were bought from farms in and around the province for export to China.
The inspection was prompted by the discovery of substandard durians about to be exported to China by border customs offices in Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom.
Altogether 38 tonnes of durian, found to be unripe and tainted with bugs and disease, in two shipments were returned to the brokers in Chumphon.
According to the DoA, strict procedures are in place to check the quality and origin of the fruits at the point of border customs clearance.
The brokers responsible for the two shipments of durian are liable for prosecution.
Damrongsak Sinsak, village headman in Muang district of Chumphon, who joined an inspection team, said the colour of the durians' skin suggested the fruit were grown in a neighbouring country.
The durians may have been bought at cheap prices of 40-50 baht apiece. If they had been re-exported, the brokers would have made a large profit, he said.
"It's a good thing that they were stopped. Otherwise, the reputation of Thai durians would have gone down the drain," Mr Damrongsak said.
One manager at a raided brokerage denied the durians were mislabelled and insisted they were bought from farms in Thailand.