The Deputy Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police (RTP) has announced the results of an autopsy on the body of a woman who died after taking slimming pills in Ang Thong, saying that Sibutramine was found in her body.
Pol. Gen. Virachai Songmetta, RTP Deputy Commissioner General, revealed that the victim had reportedly taken slimming pills ordered online for only 12 days before her death on July 6 this year.
The Forensic Science Institute examined a food sample in the deceased woman’s stomach and found Fluoxetine which is a sedative. Sibutramine was also found in the gallbladder. This led to the circulatory system’s failure and cardiac arrhythmia which were the causes of death.
Evidence seized from a factory in Kalasin and a rental house in Pathumthani province showed traces of sibutramine in all seven types of drugs being sold online. Most of it was imported from Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province. Some other hazardous substances used as ingredients in the slimming drugs include Fluoxetine which is used in sedatives and Hydrochlorothiazide which is a diuretic agent.
The RTP Deputy Commissioner General said there are at least seven persons who are being prosecuted for directly causing the woman’s death. A second group of at least 5-6 persons, including producers and distributors of the diet supplements, are also being prosecuted.
The police will ask the Ministry of Justice to provide the victim’s family with a subsidy of 200,000 baht for being affected by a criminal case, the cost of a cremation fee and child support. The deceased’s husband said his family was satisfied with the police’s rapid response and the arrests of the alleged perpetrators for prosecution. He advised people not to buy illegal weight loss drugs and asked them to learn from his wife’s case.
