Brit, Thai arrested selling fake brand name watches

Police display fake brand name wrist watches seized from a Briton and Thai in Pattaya on Tuesday night. (Photo by Chaiyot Pupattnapong)

CHON BURI: A British national and a Thai man were arrested on Tuesday night for selling fake brand name watches online at a huge mark-up to foreign buyers in Pattaya, police said.

Acting on a tip-off from an informer, a police agent contacted the British man, identified as Mark Peter Dorey, 43, offering to buy 12 watches of brand names such as Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Cartier for 123,500 baht.

They made an appointment to meet at a coffee shop at the Avenue shopping centre on Pattaya Sai 2 road in South Pattaya, police said.

The agent and Mr Dorey met at the coffee shop. From there, Mr Dorey took the agent on a motorcycle to Bay Walk shopping centre on Pattaya Beach Road, where the suspect handed the fake products to the agent after being given the money.

Police moved in and arrested Mr Dorey with the watches.

Information obtained from Mr Dorey led police to arrest Virut Bua-raem, alias Ae, 45, with another 40 fake watches.

Mr Dorey allegedly confessed to having bought the watches from Mr Virut for about 500 baht each and reselling them for about 12,000 baht each.

Mr Dorey said he advertised the watches for sale on Instagram. After receiving orders, he sent the products by parcel post to his clients, all of them foreigners, who paid for them via a bank account.

The two suspects were initially charged with having fake products in their possession with intent to sell.