
Police in Nakhon Ratchasima province have dismantled an illegal kratom juice factory that was mixing the juice with illicit cough syrup, posing a risk of acute kidney failure.
A 39 year old man, Trakarn Chuankratok, who rented the premises, admitted to hiring workers to produce the concoction for the past two weeks.
Yesterday, July 23, at Chokchai Police Station, Police Colonel Khachain Setaputa, Deputy Commander of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Police, and Police Colonel Chawarn Wongrot, Chokchai Police Station Superintendent, along with district administration and public health officers, announced the arrest of 13 people.
They seized 840 1-litre bottles of kratom juice, 17 cases of Cox brand cough syrup (with each case containing 50 bottles), as well as a variety of other items including soft drinks, fresh sugar, kratom leaves, and equipment used for brewing and bottling. The factory, located at house number 267, Baan Nong Samrong, Moo 11, Chokchai subdistrict, was raided by the police.
Police Colonel Khachain stated that the operation followed a tip-off from locals about the illicit factory operating in Chokchai district. Upon investigation, they discovered ongoing production activities, with workers assigned various tasks such as boiling kratom juice and bottling it for sale.
Trakarn admitted to renting the premises and employing workers at a daily wage of 400 baht (US$12). He confessed to purchasing the cough syrup for 2,000 baht (US$62) per case.

Initial charges include illegal production of kratom juice and possession of unlawful drug mixtures with intent to distribute. Initial inspections by a pharmacist determined the cough syrup to be counterfeit and unregistered.
Kwanchanok Krutkool, an experienced pharmacist in Chokchai district, explained that the registration numbers on the cough syrup did not match any legitimate records, indicating they could either be genuine or counterfeit.
Further testing is required, but misuse of such substances, especially when mixed with kratom juice, poses significant health risks.
Users may experience euphoria but also face potential toxic residue, posing severe health threats, particularly to the liver and kidneys, which could result in acute kidney failure. Kwanchanok warned against the dangers, particularly for young people who might use these substances, reported KhaoSod.
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