20 Myanmar migrants nabbed in Thai rubber plantation
Migrants arrived by boat, planning to transit Thailand en route to Malaysia
A human smuggling route was shut down as 20 Myanmar migrants were caught hiding in a rubber plantation in Kanchanaburi, after a dawn raid by Thai authorities.
Chakrit Tanpirul, the district chief of Thong Pha Phum in Kanchanaburi province, revealed yesterday, June 19, that officials had foiled a major illegal entry operation the night before. The bust followed a tip-off about a group of Myanmar nationals being smuggled into Thailand through the Sangkhla Buri border, with plans to lie low in Thong Pha Phum while awaiting transport to their next destination.
Acting swiftly, Kanchanaburi Governor Athisan Intra launched Operation SEAL STOP SAVE, deploying a joint force of territorial defence volunteers and local leaders. A surveillance point was set up at the entrance to Ban Keringkravia in Chalae subdistrict, but no suspicious movement was observed overnight.
At 6am on Wednesday, June 18, officers switched tactics and began patrolling a dirt road running through a rubber plantation in Village 2, Ban Keringkravia. That’s when they struck gold — a group of 20 people, hiding among the trees.
As soon as they were spotted, the group attempted to scatter in panic. But it was too late. Officers managed to round up all 20 migrants — 17 men and three women — each carrying small bags of personal belongings. No contraband was found, but none of them possessed legal identification or documents.
Unable to speak Thai, a translator was brought in. The migrants said they came from Yangon and Mandalay, and had entered Thailand via natural trails from Myanmar’s Payathonzu district, crossing into the Nong Lu subdistrict of Sangkhla Buri. They had used a boat to reach the rubber plantation, planning to travel through Thailand en route to Malaysia for work.
They told officers they were promised jobs in Malaysia by brokers, and each had agreed to pay approximately 6,500 Malaysian Ringgits (around 55,000 baht) for the journey, reported KhaoSod.
Instead, they now face legal trouble. The entire group was transported to Thong Pha Phum Police Station for questioning and will be charged with entering and residing in Thailand illegally.
Police say the crackdown is part of an ongoing effort to dismantle human trafficking routes through the region.
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