Thai man arrested for smuggling 290 litres of diesel to Myanmar
A man was apprehended for attempting to smuggle nearly 300 litres of diesel fuel across the Thai-Myanmar border to Payathonzu, claiming it was intended for his mother-in-law without seeking payment.
Police Colonel Paitoon Sriwilai from Sangkhla Buri Police Station revealed the arrest today, February 10, after the National Security Council ordered power cuts in the border area linked to illegal Chinese business operations.
Efforts to prevent the smuggling of fuel and generators into the Payathonzu area have been intensified following these directives. The region has been under continuous surveillance by local police, military, and border patrol units.
Yesterday, February 9, police were tipped off about a potential smuggling attempt using a vehicle heading towards a natural border crossing near the Ban Ton Yang refugee camp.
At 5.50pm, the suspect’s vehicle, a Toyota Revo pickup truck registered in Kanchanaburi, was stopped and searched at a military checkpoint. Officials found 290 litres of diesel stored in 10 blue containers in the truck bed. The driver, 38 year old Samrit, was taken into custody.
Samrit admitted to purchasing and planning to deliver the fuel to his mother-in-law in Hlocknee, Payathonzu, in Myanmar’s Karen State, without any financial compensation. He was charged with attempting to export goods without customs clearance, reported KhaoSod.
This arrest marks the first since the electricity cut on February 5, aligning with government measures to curb cross-border fuel smuggling.
In similar news, Chiang Rai provincial officials issued an urgent directive prohibiting the refuelling of oil into containers such as jerry cans, with violators facing legal action. This measure aligns with the Thai government’s policy to combat call centre gangs.
On February 8, Deputy Governor Norasak Suksomboon, acting on behalf of the Chiang Rai governor, announced the directive dated February 7, stating that oil should not be transferred into containers at petrol stations. This decision is part of the Thai government’s efforts to curb crime along the Thailand-Myanmar border, which includes halting electricity, oil, and Internet supplies at five border points.
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