Authorities in Koh Phangan have arrested three individuals—a Russian, a Myanmar national, and a Thai citizen—for allegedly selling illegal e-cigarettes and baraku smoking devices. The arrests were part of a broader crackdown on contraband ahead of the island’s Full Moon Party on February 15.
Police and local officials raided a cannabis shop, Dons Professional Cannabis, in Moo 1 village on Saturday, where they confiscated 47 e-cigarettes, nine baraku smoking devices, and 60 boxes of baraku tobacco. Investigators identified the shop as a key supplier of these prohibited products to tourists, according to Pol Lt Col Charoenchai Boon-kliang of the Surat Thani Provincial Police.
During the operation, authorities detained 27-year-old Russian national Sofia Gaifullina, who was managing the shop, along with her Myanmar employee, Sandar Win, 41. Gaifullina faces charges of working without a permit and selling untaxed or banned products, while Win was charged with working without a permit.
In a separate raid on a second-hand clothing shop in the same area, officers arrested 55-year-old Thai national Orapan Thongsong after discovering 33 e-cigarettes at the premises.
The crackdown follows an intensified effort by local law enforcement to curb the distribution of restricted goods on the island, particularly before major tourism events.
