The National Police Inspector, General Suchat Theerasawat, the Inspector General Director of the Center for Child Protection, Women and Families and Prevention of Human Trafficking flies to Prachuab Khiri Khran Province by helicopter to follow up a case of illegal labor. Arrests under the human trafficking laws are in process.
Special operations officers searched a one-story house in Baan Knong Bua district of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. After being informed by spies, they discovered an illegal agency bringing illegal foreign workers into Thailand to hide and wait to be transported to Malaysia. Myanmar workers; women and men, 22 altogether and 5 under 18 years of age. None of the illegal laborers could prod uce evidence of any immigration docu ments.
They confessed that they entered Thailand through natural channels at S ingkhon Border, where the illegal operation is located. A Thai broker came to pick them up hiding them in the house to wait for passage to Malaysia. Poli ce officers seized 21 mobile phones, revealing contact numbers with different government officials and evidence of money transfers to government officials as bribes; in order to facilitate the trafficking operation. These government officials, with number contacts, are now suspects and will be summoned for interrogation.
The National Police Inspector General urged all the investigators and relevant officials to conduct an urgent investigation; to familiarize themselves with all illegal labor and investigate anyone with connection to the illegal workers. Now, the goal is to gain more information to find out who is connected to this network and also the gove rnment officers concerned. Some illegal workers had Border Passes, but these were seized to prevent escape.
