112 Myanmar nationals caught trying to slip across border in Kanchanaburi
Border patrol units arrested 112 Myanmar nationals in three separate groups as they were trying to sneak into Thailand via natural borders in Kanchanaburi on Thursday.
Also arrested were six Thais, who were helping the migrants slip into Thailand.
The first group, comprising 38 men and 31 women, was arrested near the border. They did not have any documentation.
The second group, comprising 15 men and five women, was caught at a natural channel in Nong Lu subdistrict of Sangkhla Buri district. This group was reportedly accompanied by five Thais.
The last group, comprising 13 men and 10 women along with a Thai guide, were nabbed in Thongphaphum district as they were trying to make their way into Thailand. The vehicle they were in was also seized.
One of the detainees reportedly said they had paid 18,000 to 20,000 baht to an agency that promised to find them jobs in Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan. Most of the migrants hailed from Myanmar’s Dawei, Bago, Myawaddy and Mandalay provinces.
The detainees and their guides have been put in isolation for Covid-19 testing, after which they will undergo legal procedures.
Deputy National Police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittipraphas told the press on Thursday that the problem is worsening, with the number of illegal migrants doubling in October compared to the previous month, while the number of Thais helping them has also tripled.
“Extra border patrol units will be deployed at all border provinces in the North, West and South because more migrants are expected to enter the country illegally in the next few months,” he said.