Woman arrested in Bangkok for allegedly trying to smuggle migrants back to Myanmar
Immigration Police on Saturday arrested Wanitnara, or Jeab (last name withheld), at a mansion in Bangkok’s Wangthonglang district for allegedly running a smuggling operation of Myanmar labourers out of Thailand via Singkhon checkpoint in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
“Officials have been investigating the case after 42 migrants from Myanmar had been arrested in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Khlong Wan district while trying to cross the border at the checkpoint. Sixteen of them later tested positive for Covid-19,” said Immigration Police chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang.
“All Myanmar migrants and a Thai vehicle driver had been placed in isolation to monitor their symptoms in keeping with disease control measures.”
Sompong added that the driver had said he was hired by the suspect who lives in Bangkok and had paid him to transport migrant workers from Samut Sakhon, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Chachoengsao, Prachin Buri and Bangkok provinces to Myanmar via Prachuap Khiri Khan at THB5,000 to THB8,000 per person.
“Wanitnara also has an arrest warrant in Tak province for fraud in a separate case,” added the Immigration Police chief.