Thai police arrest 85 Myanmar immigrants in Phetchaburi smuggling operation

Tha Mai Ruak police, alongside other agencies in Phetchaburi, apprehended 85 illegal immigrants in Tha Yang. The operation was initiated after locals reported a group of suspicious individuals in Nong Ta Chao Village.

Police detained the 85 immigrants, including two children, and transported them to the Tha Mai Ruak police station for questioning and legal action. The immigrants, originally from Myanmar, had entered Thailand through an unofficial border crossing in Mae Sot, Tak. They were later moved to Phetchaburi in three pickup trucks, with plans to continue to Malaysia for work.

Each immigrant had reportedly paid between 50,000 and 60,000 baht (US$ 1,400 and 1,600) to three Thai agents involved in the smuggling operation. Despite the arrests, no Thai nationals have been apprehended, and their identities remain unknown, reported The Pattaya News.

The Tha Mai Ruak police have charged the immigrants with illegal entry, and the case has been transferred to the inquiry police for further legal proceedings.

In related news, police apprehended a vehicle transporting Myanmar migrant workers fleeing domestic conflict to seek employment in Thailand, each paying 15,000 baht. The incident took place yesterday when Vorabodin Lertsuphasinsatit from the Highway Police Division and his team intercepted a black Mitsubishi Pajero with license plate กท 5461 Kamphaeng Phet on Highway 117 in Ban Na, Wachirabarami District, Phichit Province.

The arrest followed a tip-off about a smuggling operation transporting illegal migrants from Ban Tak District, Tak Province, heading towards Ayutthaya Province via Highway 117. Acting on this intelligence, the highway police set up a checkpoint and began their patrol.

Upon reaching the 89 to 90 kilometre mark on Highway 117, they identified the suspect vehicle matching the informant’s description, driving at high speed. Officers signalled the driver to stop but the vehicle attempted to evade capture by speeding into a nearby village. However, unfamiliarity with the area forced the driver back onto Highway 117, where police had established a blockade.