Thai police arrest migrants en route to Malaysia in smuggling bust

Picture courtesy of naewna

In Songkhla, police in Chana district apprehended 10 illegal migrants from Myanmar and two Thai drivers as they attempted to travel to Malaysia in search of employment.

The arrests were made yesterday evening, January 25, by a team comprising immigration and highway police, who intercepted a Honda sedan and a Mitsubishi Pajero on a local road in tambon Taling Chan.

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The operation followed a tip-off indicating that two vehicles were involved in smuggling migrants from Chana to Thepa district, according to Police Colonel Chanokruadee Pongsiri, superintendent of Highway Police Division 7. The Thai drivers were identified as 44 year old Donjaras Marnbao and 30 year old Nurhasan Dee-mae.

Donjaras was driving the Honda sedan, which acted as a lookout vehicle, while Nurhasan was in the Pajero, transporting seven men and three women from Myanmar. Both drivers and all the Myanmar nationals have been taken into police custody for further legal proceedings.

Thai police arrest migrants en route to Malaysia in smuggling bust | News by Thaiger
Picture courtesy of naewna

The drivers admitted to being paid 2,000 baht (US$60) each for picking up the migrants from the roadside in Songkhla’s Rattapoom district and transporting them to Mueang district of Pattani province, where another vehicle was scheduled to collect them. They disclosed that a Pattani resident, known to them only as Bae-Ning, had hired them and that they had undertaken similar trips previously, reported Bangkok Post.

Pol. Col. Chanokruadee noted that most of the Myanmar nationals, mainly from Yangon, had been travelling for five days before their arrest. They were expected to pay approximately 120,000 baht (US$3,570) each to a Myanmar broker in Malaysia upon reaching their destination.

Thai police arrest migrants en route to Malaysia in smuggling bust | News by Thaiger

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In related news, on January 21 at 5pm, Ayutthaya immigration police, in collaboration with highway police, apprehended a 39 year old Myanmar national, Zaw Zaw Lin, and a 32 year old Myanmar national, Nae Sein Ma, for illegally transporting 10 Myanmar nationals in a vehicle.

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Bright Choomanee

With a degree in English from Srinakharinwirot University, Bright specializes in writing engaging content. Her interests vary greatly, including lifestyle, travel, and news. She enjoys watching series with her orange cat, Garfield, in her free time.

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