Pathum Thani, Thailand — July 22, 2025 — Thai police have dismantled a large-scale counterfeit coffee operation, seizing over 300,000 fake Nescafé products and arresting seven individuals in a controlled raid early today.
The crime squad searched a warehouse in Lat Lum Kaeo district, Pathum Thani province, acting on intelligence that the facility was producing and packaging illicit instant coffee under the trusted Nescafé 3‑in‑1 brand. Authorities confiscated:
89,000 sealed sachets of ready-to-sell counterfeit coffee
280,000 empty branded packets
19 bulk bags of loose instant coffee yet to be packaged
8 packaging machines used in the operation
The warehouse had been rented by a Thai national identified as Utain Usa from Chiang Rai. He is currently at large and is being sought by police
Among the seven arrested, four are Laotian and three belong to Thailand’s Karen hill tribe, all charged with producing and distributing counterfeit food products. If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison and fines up to 100,000 baht (81 million Vietnamese dong)
This is not an isolated incident. Vietnamese authorities have also cracked down on fake coffee production. In June, Phu Yen Province police shut down a plant under the brand Dạ Thảo, seizing 3.4 tonnes of adulterated coffee powder. That operation had produced over 21 tonnes of low‑caffeine coffee and generated around 1.3 billion VND in revenue
. Separately, in Đắk Lắk Province, a café owner was found mixing coffee beans with soy and husk fillers to lower production costs, resulting in hundreds of tons of fake product on the market
Officials emphasize that this cross-border operation reflects a well-organized criminal network targeting household products and popular food brands across Southeast Asia. The sophisticated packaging closely mimics that of genuine Nescafé items, making counterfeits difficult to detect.
Health authorities warn that such fake consumables pose serious health risks, as they bypass food safety regulations and quality controls. Police have pledged to continue investigations, aiming to uncover the full distribution chain and any potential international links
