Trat officials seize five boats in Cambodia smuggling bust
Officials intercepted a smuggling operation transporting consumer goods and animal products from Thailand to Cambodia along the coastal border in Hat Lek, Trat, on April 12, seizing multiple boats and arresting six suspects.
The operation was carried out by the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai MECC) in Trat, working with the Royal Thai Marine Corps task force and border patrol boat units, following a tip-off about a shipment being moved across the border.
Authorities seized five long-tail boats, although one remains stranded and is being recovered. Six suspects were detained, including five Cambodian nationals and one Thai national.
Officials found goods worth at least 500,000 baht on board. The items included electrical appliances, clothing, fruit such as tamarind, rambutan and mafai, and food and animal products including chicken offal, fried silkworms, fresh squid, soft-shell crab and shellfish.
DailyNews reported that the suspects admitted they were hired to transport the goods from Thailand to Cambodia, receiving 2,000 baht each, double the previous rate of 1,000 baht.
Officials said the volume and type of goods, along with the increased payment, may indicate a shortage of consumer products in the neighbouring country.
Thai MECC Trat said it will continue to monitor the area closely, with a focus on cracking down on fuel smuggling operations along the border.
In a separate development, in Aranyaprathet, Sa Kaeo province, Thai officials stopped an attempt to smuggle Thai goods into Cambodia after spotting two people pushing carts loaded with large sacks in Phan Suek subdistrict.
The suspects fled across a canal into Cambodia, leaving the carts behind, and officials later found they were carrying Thai products intended for illegal export.
The items included food, medicine, cosmetics, clothing and vehicle accessories, among them Ajinomoto MSG, Mitr Phol sugar, Sriracha chilli sauce, skincare products, supplements, dresses, skirts and Yamaha exhaust guards.
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