Police halt truck with 19 illegal migrants and drugs in Kanchanaburi
Routine stop uncovers human trafficking route tangled with narcotics
Kanchanaburi highway police intercepted a suspicious pickup truck at a red light and discovered 19 illegal Myanmar migrants along with drugs today, June 11.
While patrolling Route 3199 in Kanchanaburi, near the Lat Ya intersection in Mueang district, police noticed a white four-door Isuzu pickup truck in the rightmost lane. The vehicle appeared suspicious due to its abnormal load, prompting police to investigate further. As they approached, the driver attempted to reverse and flee, but police managed to block the escape.
Upon inspection, the driver, 32 year old Myanmar national U, was found at the wheel. Inside the cabin, 16 migrants were cramped together, while three more were hidden in the truck bed under bags of fertiliser.
In total, 19 illegal migrants,12 men and seven women, were discovered. U, who spoke Thai, was visibly nervous and inconsistent in his responses.
A search revealed three methamphetamine pills in a plastic tube in his pocket. He admitted to transporting the group from Yangon, Myanmar, and illegally entering Thailand via natural border crossings at the Three Pagodas Pass in Sangkhla Buri district.
U was tasked with delivering the migrants to employers in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, and Malaysia. He was initially paid 500 baht (US$15) per person, with an additional 12,000 baht (US$370) per person promised upon successful delivery.
However, the police intercepted the operation. U and all migrants were taken to Lat Ya Police Station for further investigation, reported KhaoSod.
U faces charges of harbouring and aiding foreigners to evade arrest, possession of a category 1 drug, and drug consumption while driving under the influence. The migrants face charges of illegal entry without permission.
In similar news, in Songkhla, nine Afghan nationals and three Thai suspects believed to be involved in smuggling were detained in two separate incidents on February 22.
Immigration officials, along with officers from Provincial Police Region 9 and the Tourist Police, intercepted a pickup truck near a garbage dump in Khuan Luang subdistrict, Hat Yai district.
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