Police, FDA raid 6 more sites for fake plastic surgery silicone strips

The joint operation was announced on Monday by FDA secretary-general Paisarn Dunkum and Pol Colonel Tharakorn Lertporncharoen, deputy chief of the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD).

The latest raid was conducted last Thursday, following two previous operations on December 20 and 22.

The raid also uncovered information that Korawin Clinic’s five branches had used the counterfeit silicone pieces in 1,621 surgeries last year. Of them, 1,436 were nose jobs, 154 chin implants and 31 both nose and chin surgeries.

Paisarn said the FDA sought help CPPD’s help to investigate the use of fake silicone pieces at clinics operating under the Korawin brand.

The FDA and CPPD also obtained a court warrant to search a deserted rice mill in Suphanburi’s Sri Prachan district on December 20.

There they learned that the rice mill was being used as a factory to make silicone for nose and forehead jobs.

They also seized counterfeit equipment, 68 moulds and 1,098 silicone pieces in the December 20 raid. The cost of the confiscated items was estimated at 3.5 million baht.

Nattapapas (surname withheld) was subsequently arrested for manufacturing silicone and medical equipment without a licence. She reportedly admitted to running the business for two years and said her biggest buyer was K Medical Thailand Co Ltd.

K Medical reportedly placed orders for Korawin Clinic’s Ngam Wong Wan branch in Bangkok and in Khon Kaen province.

Paisarn said subsequent investigation found that the counterfeit silicone was later distributed to 30 other branches of the clinic nationwide. Officials also found documents proving that the Korawin Clinic had paid more than 2 million baht for the fake silicone pieces.

On December 22, police and FDA officials raided the Ngam Wong Wan branch and seized 12,282 pieces for nose jobs, 27 pieces for forehead implants and 3,855 pieces for the chin. All had been made in Nattapapas’s factory.

On January 12, FDA officials searched the clinic’s branches in Nakhon Pathom, Rayong, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen as well as the Ngam Wong Wan branch and a warehouse in Nonthaburi.

Police said the January 12 and December 22 raids resulted in the seizure of 12,282 pieces for nose jobs, 2,775 for foreheads and 1,107 for chins as well as 998 illegal medical equipment and 474 items of illegal medication.

The FDA chief said the silicone pieces cost 60-80 baht each to produce and were used in surgeries costing 4,900 to 50,000 baht.

The FDA chief and CPPD deputy chief said more arrest warrants will be sought but did not elaborate.