Three people were arrested for allegedly selling fake powdered milk in Thailand.

Thai nationals Manop and Wiriya and a Chinese man named Chen had reportedly been peddling underpriced tins of counterfeit Ensure Gold powder through different online stores, switching shop names often to avoid detection.

Police Major General Witthaya Sriprasertparp, commander of the Consumer Protection Division, said authorities launched a probe following reports that the popular milk brand, used as nutrient supplements for the elderly, was being sold at suspiciously low costs. They were listed as 690 THB (16 GBP) per tin, far below the regular price of 1,000 THB (23 GBP) for the genuine products.

Officers raided two homes in Nakhon Pathom province linked to the online shops, and arrested the trio on November 15. They also confiscated 5,375 fake tins being stored at the locations.

The Thai suspects claimed they were unaware that the milk was fake.

Wiriya said she had been hired by a certain Chinese man called Wang to pack and deliver the items for a monthly wage of 16,000 THB (367 GBP). She added that she had completed 100 to 200 orders per day over 15 days.

Police said the suspects also allegedly deceived jobseekers - mostly Chinese people in the district - into packing the fake products for a 15,000 to 30,000 THB (344 to 688 GBP) salary.

Police Major General Witthaya said: 'The suspects violated charges under the Food Act. The charge of selling adulterated food carries a punishment of six months to ten years in jail and a fine ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 THB (115 to 2,300 GBP).

‘The charge of selling food products with incorrect labels carries a fine of up to 30,000 THB (688 GBP).'

The seized products were sent to the Department of Medical Sciences to be tested for prohibited substances.

Under Thailand's Food Act, suspects selling 'impure' food may face up to two years in jail, a fine of up to 20,000 THB (460 GBP), or both.

(1 GBP = 43.65 THB)