29 police officers being investigated over smuggling of migrant labourers
The Royal Thai Police Headquarters (RTP) on Wednesday appointed a committee to investigate 29 officers who might have been involved in the smuggling of migrant labourers into Thailand, a news source revealed.
“The committee will be chaired by RTP special adviser Pol General Jaruwat Waisaya, while National Police deputy chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittipraphas will supervise the investigation,” the source said.
“Some 29 police officers have been listed as under investigation,” he added.
Illegal migrants have become an increasingly serious problem for Thailand, especially during the Covid-19 crisis, and the instability in Myanmar since earlier this year, which have driven thousands of labourers to enter Thailand to seek shelter or to find jobs that often pay better than the ones back home.
Some of these migrants slipped into Thailand on their own while many others were smuggled in by local syndicates, which collect hefty fees to take them to industrial zones in various provinces, where demand for cheap labour is high.