43-year-old Mark Peter Dorey was arrested after he accepted ฿123,500 from an undercover police agent for 12 fake watches. He told police after his arrest in Pattaya that he sold the fake products to international customers successfully on the Instagram social media site for over 20 times what he paid for them on the black market in the resort city and shipped them by post.
A British man was arrested by Thai police on Tuesday night at a shopping centre in Pattaya after being caught in a sting operation selling counterfeit luxury watches.
The British man is believed to be living in Pattaya and was targeted by the police.
An undercover agent made contact with Mr Dorey to initiate a deal presenting himself as an interested buyer of high end watches at knock off prices.
Following his arrest by Thai police at the Baywalk Shopping Centre on the Beach Road of the resort city, 43-year-old Mark Peter Dorey explained to police that he had been selling the fake items for which Thailand has become well known, for quite a while on Instagram, the social media site.
International buyers happy to pay ฿12,000 each for the fake watches on social media
He revealed that some international buyers were happy to fork out over ฿12,000 each for the items which would be a fraction of their cost if they had not been fake replicas.
Mr Dorey told police that he shipped the items to his foreign customers by parcel post and was paid by direct bank transfers to his account.
UK national set up by a police informant
The sting which led to the UK man’s arrest on Tuesday, began when the undercover police agent contacted Mr Dorey seeking to purchase the items.
The police operation is reported to have been initiated, according to Pattaya police, following a tip-off from an informant in relation to Mr Dorey’s activities.
Deal agreed at ฿123,500 for 12 watches
A deal was struck for ฿123,500 in exchange for 12 assorted watches which the UK man promised to supply. The fake models included high-quality imitations Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier.
On Tuesday, he met the police agent at the Avenue Shopping Centre on Pattaya Sai 2 Road in South Pattaya.
Meeting adjourned to a second shopping centre on Beach Road in Pattaya where the deal took place
Initially meeting at a coffee shop, the UK expat took the agent by motorbike to the second shopping centre on Beach Road.
There, he handed over the selection of watches in presentation boxes and received a payment of ฿123,500 in cash. However, the successful deal was short-lived for Mr Dorey when police appeared shortly afterwards to arrest him.
Police later arrested Dorey’s Thai supplier
He later provided authorities with the identity of his supplier and a 45-year-old Thai man was arrested in possession of a further 40 watches. He had been paid ฿500 baht each for the watches by the UK national or ฿6,000.
The Thai man was named at AE or 45-year-old Virut Bua-raem.
UK man faces up to 4 years in jail if convicted in court and deportation from Thailand
The two men were presented by police at a press briefing on Tuesday evening. They are being charged with possession of counterfeit products with intent to steal.
The current law provides for a fine of up to ฿400,000 and up o 4 years imprisonment on conviction.
The offence may also bring an end to the UK man’s current stay in Thailand as he faces deportation following a criminal conviction if found guilty by the courts.
Further reading:
Fake goods and counterfeit brands in Thailand not yet a thing of the past but maybe soon
Russian faces counterfeit charges after gifting toy money to bar staff while also paying in baht
