Officials have arrested 16 Chinese individuals for attempting to enter Thailand from Myanmar.
The Chinese immigrants were caught by authorities attempting to sneak through the Moei River crossing in Mae Sot district, Tak province.
Officers stationed at Mae Sot Police Station first noticed the group with wet clothes at Moei River’s bank.
Drawing suspicion, the police then went to inspect the group, questioning the 16 individuals.
Upon questioning, the police then concluded that the group entered Thailand by crossing the border without a permit.
The arrested individuals’ records indicate that the detained persons have visas for Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar.
Upon later investigation, the police founded that the group was employees of casinos in Myanmar.
Authorities then charged the Chinese immigrants with illegally entering the country.
Additionally, the Director of the Transnational Crime Suppression Center at the Royal Thai Police, Pol Gen Natthorn Prosunthorn, said that authorities caught a large group of Cambodian immigrants along with suspected smugglers in the Muang District of Chachoengsao.
The Cambodian immigrants, caught on Saturday, were discovered by the Internal Security Operations Command.
The foreign nationals cited that they’d came to Thailand to find work.
The five Thai traffickers had been found abetting the 88 Cambodian immigrants into illegally entering the country.
Thailand’s easement of lockdowns has provided human traffickers an opportunity to sneak migrants into the country as the country’s labor workforce’s demand arises.
On the trafficking cases, Thai authorities had cited concerns over the possible resurgence of the coronavirus due to the influx of illegal immigrants.
Due to the rising cases of migrants entering the country, officials along Thailand’s border were on heightened alert.
Border authorities have installed measures to monitor and deter trespassers from coming into the country.
Such measures include installing CCTVs over contentious border areas and dispatched patrol units to guard the areas.
While Thailand has been easing on migrant entry – with Thai citizens and groups of foreigners designated being permitted into the country, they first must be screened for covid-19 and be placed under quarantine to prevent the re-emergence of the coronavirus.
Source: The Nation & TNA
