Chinese national’s ‘border-line’ escape foils trafficking plot
Police in Sa Kaeo province today apprehended a Chinese national in a daring border sting. He claimed he was escaping being trafficked to Cambodia
Ji Hongli was picked up today, January 16, in an operation led by Police Colonel Naphatphong Supaporn, Superintendent of the Immigration Bureau, alongside Pol. Col. Anothai Chindamani of Khlong Luek Police Station and Col. Methee Khamtem of the 12th Border Patrol Police Division.
The 36 year old from Henan Province, China, was arrested in Ban Dong Ngu, Pa Rai subdistrict.
The twisty tale began when Ji claimed he had originally come to Thailand before jetting off to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he worked at a KTV bar earning a modest US$500 a month.
Things allegedly took a shady turn when he was purportedly enlisted by a call centre gang, which left him empty-handed after a month of work.
In an attempt to flee, Ji said he met a helpful Cambodian man who led him through back channels to the Thai border, allegedly to make his way back home to China.
However, sceptical Thai police were far from convinced by Ji’s elaborate escapade, slapping him with charges for being an alien who had illegally entered and remained in Thailand.
The arrest highlights the ongoing challenges of border security and illegal crossings in the region, as well as the murky underworld of cross-border rackets.
The story follows hot on the heels of the missing Chinese actor Wang Xing was dramatically rescued by Thai police last week after being abducted by a human trafficking gang while on the Thai-Myanmar border.
Wang Xing, known to fans as Xing Xing, vanished on January 3 after departing Shanghai Pudong Airport for Thailand in what he believed was an acting gig along the border. Last seen in Mae Sot, the plot thickened as his sudden disappearance spookily mirrored the storyline of No More Bets, a Chinese blockbuster movie where characters are ensnared by a scam centre in Thailand.
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) subsequently launched a high-stakes investigation following the baffling disappearance of two more Chinese nationals near the infamous Thai-Myanmar border.
The missing duo includes a male model and a young woman.
Thai police announced they are launching deep probes into the people trafficking network and plan to put a stop to it once and for all.
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