Thai highway drama: Cops revive smuggler with life-saving CPR

Thai Highway Police officers provided CPR to a man who fell unconscious from shock after being arrested for smuggling 111 Myanmar nationals. The incident took place yesterday, July 11, when police stopped a suspicious truck covered with a tarp on Highway 41 in Surat Thani province.

Police General Kongkrit Lertsitthikul ordered a team to lead the operation, arresting 33 year old Anan and 23 year old Kueakun, both of whom are Myanmar nationals. The truck was found to be smuggling 111 Myanmar migrants, including 89 men and 22 women, packed tightly inside.

Upon inspection, officers discovered the truck had a small ventilation hole, which prompted them to signal the driver to stop for a search. Anan was driving the truck, with Kueakun sitting beside him.

When the officers removed the tarp, they uncovered the large group of migrants, who were detained and taken to the Chaiya Highway Police Service Unit for questioning.

During the interrogation, Anan confessed that he was hired to transport the migrants by a group via the LINE application. He explained that he was instructed to pick up Kueakun at a hotel in Ratchaburi province.

Kueakun then led him to collect the migrants, destined for the Hat Yai district in Songkhla province, in exchange for 50,000 baht. However, they were intercepted and arrested before they could complete the smuggling job.

While being questioned, Kueakun experienced severe convulsions, leading to cardiac arrest and cessation of breathing. Officers quickly administered CPR for approximately two minutes, successfully reviving him. He was then rushed to Chaiya Hospital, where his condition was reported to be stable and out of immediate danger.

Both Anan and Kueakun have been charged with concealing and aiding illegal immigrants to evade arrest. The 111 Myanmar nationals have been charged with entering and residing in the Kingdom of Thailand without permission. They were subsequently handed over to the Chaiya Police Station for further legal proceedings, reported KhaoSod.