Police raid unlicenced medical supply factory in Nonthaburi
Factory making ‘Dara Plus’ and ‘Sheddy’ supplies for sale to hospitals found to be producing sub-standard goods
Officials of the Consumer Protection Police (CPP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday investigated a factory in Khlong Khoi subdistrict of Nonthaburi province suspected of manufacturing medical supplies without a licence.
The authorities were following up on a tip that the factory, which produces cotton balls soaked in ethyl alcohol 70% used in the cleaning of wounds and medical equipment, might not have a licence to produce medical supplies.
Officials found 2,830 packs of cotton balls soaked in ethyl alcohol under the brand “Dara Plus”, and 6,400 packs under the brand “Sheddy”, 89 bags of dry cotton balls, 10 gallons of alcohol, and several items of manufacturing machinery.
Dr Surachoke Tangwiwat, the FDA’s secretary-general, said the factory had never registered with the FDA as a manufacturer of medical supplies, yet displayed an FDA licence number which belongs to another company on the product packages.
Furthermore, officials found that the factory workers diluted ethyl alcohol in water before soaking the cotton balls, making its efficacy lower than advertised on the label, he added.
Surachoke said the FDA would test the products in its labs and would file additional charges if any contamination was found.
A police investigation has revealed that the factory supplied over 88,000 packs of cotton balls to 12 hospitals and several drug stores between October 2024 and January 2025. These products are worth over 240,000 baht.
The factory owner was charged with manufacturing medical equipment without a licence and using a fake quality standard seal. These charges carry a maximum punishment of up to 2 years in jail or a 1-million-baht fine, or both.
