Songkhla man nabbed smuggling 14 undocumented Burmese for 30,000 baht

A 31 year old man from Hat Yai, Songkhla, has been arrested by highway police in Surat Thani for allegedly smuggling 14 Burmese immigrants into Thailand. The arrest took place on Phetkasem Road within Thachang, where he, after an initial attempt to flee, was apprehended with his Toyota Revo pickup truck, registration number ผผ7620 Songkhla.

The man, Rusdee, was found to be transporting both male and female immigrants who reportedly had no legal documentation for travel. Police stated that these activities are common on major highways, particularly during long holiday periods such as the period from July 28 to August 2.

Lieutenant Colonel Wachira Yaothaisong, head of the Second Highway Police Station, said…

“Illegal smuggling of foreign workers is a common offence, and many perpetrators take advantage of major roads as escape routes. During the long holidays, from July 28 to August 2, such incidents tend to increase. Upon spotting the pickup truck without a rear registration plate, our officers signalled for it to halt for inspection.”

Following Rusdee’s apprehension, he confessed. He stated that he picked up the immigrants from Mueang, Prachuap Khiri Khan, for delivery to Songkhla. The smuggling fee amounted to 30,000 baht (US$872). The suspect and all the detained immigrants were delivered to Thachang Police Station, reported KhaoSod.

Lieutenant Colonel Wachira said that upon stopping the vehicle for inspection, we found Rustee behaving suspiciously.

“This raised concerns about the potential presence of illegal items, leading us to conduct a search which revealed 14 Burmese nationals, both men and women, hidden in the pickup truck’s cargo bed. None of them were carrying any travel documents.

“Upon questioning, Rustee confessed that he had collected all the foreign workers from Mueang, Prachuap Khiri Khan, to deliver them to Songkhla. He was to receive a payment of 30,000 baht for this. As such, we have taken all of them into custody, including Rusdee, and transported them to Thachang Police Station for further legal action.”