Customs seize 500,000 baht worth of matcha at Chiang Mai airport

CHIANG MAI — Customs officials have seized 972 packages of matcha green tea powder weighing 100 kilogrammes and worth more than 500,000 baht from a Thai passenger arriving from Japan, the Customs Department said.

The seizure took place on 19 October at Chiang Mai International Airport, where officials inspected four suitcases belonging to the passenger after they passed through the green channel for travellers with no goods to declare.

Officials found the matcha powder in sachets and tins. The quantity exceeded what would reasonably be considered for personal use and appeared to be intended for commercial purposes, but the passenger had not declared the goods to customs as required by law.

The department said the alleged offence involved importing goods on which duties had not been paid and which had not undergone the required customs procedures, in violation of Sections 242 and 252, in conjunction with Sections 166 and 167, of the Customs Act 2017.

The passenger was identified as Thai. The department did not provide further details about the passenger or the intended destination of the matcha.