Phuket fishing boat raid nets Myanmar illegals in human trafficking raid

PHUKET: A task force of officials from six government agencies today selected just three fishing boats at Rassada Pier to raid in a search for illegal migrant workers.

The team found four suspects, who were all charged with entering and working in the country illegally.

“They will be deported,” confirmed Phuket Immigration chief Col Sunchai Chokkajaykij.

The task force was operating under orders to target human trafficking in the fishing industry, specifically on fishing boats operating in Phuket waters, Col Sunchai confirmed.

However, the four arrested – Tae Sae Ao, 23; Vee-yew, 33; She-ar-shu, 24; and Cho-aea-lae, 19 – were not interviewed privately to determine their work conditions, base wages or to establish if they were trafficked into Thailand.

“We checked the documents for the three boats and all the crew members on board. We found four Myanmar workers without passports [or any other documents identifying them],” said Col Sunchai.

“They now being detained at Phuket Immigration Office.”

The four workers were found on two fishing boats: the Tor Thawee Chai 6 and Tor Thawee Chai 7.

Col Sunchai did not reveal the name of the company that operates the two boats.

The task force included officials from the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office, Phuket Marine Office, Phuket Provincial Office of Labor Protection and Welfare Office, Phuket Immigration Office, Marine Police Region 8 and the Phuket Employment Office.

Among the officials present were Lerphong Buamahk of the Phuket Provincial Office of Labour Protection and Welfare Office and Thawatchai Hasama, a lawyer from the Phuket office of the Ministry of Social Development and Welfare.

— Voratuss Intasee