Immigration claim hundreds of foreigners detained in nationwide dragnet

Officials said between June 19 and 25 they rounded up a total of 11,296 accused law violating foreigners nationwide. 

Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Natthon Phrosunthon said the three suspects – Silvanus Kabila Fonsam, Rose Onege-Bu, and Asu Akboneke – were arrested on June 20 in Bangkok’s Min Buri district along with 48 fake stamps of various agencies including Immigration Police and educational institutes. 

Natthon explained the suspects allegedly used the fake stamps on real passports for their foreign clients applying for jobs in Thailand, such as English language teachers at various institutes.

Police believed these people had Thai accomplices and were probing widely to catch them. The three suspects’ visas were initially revoked and they were passed on to police for legal action. 

Another interesting case was of Pakistani man Attiq Ur Rehman and Algerian national Nadour Hakim who were arrested on June 24 for passport forgery to supply a gang that smuggled people from the Southern Asia to a third country in Europe. Natthon said the subsequent search at Rehman’s rented room in Rama 9 area yielded many tools used in passport forgery. French officials joined the bureau in probing this case as the gang reportedly targeted to send people to France. 

In a more recent case of passport forgery and smuggling, Natthon said police had rounded up 12 Cambodian migrants on June 27 at a checkpoint in Sa Kaew province as they were found to be carrying the passports of others.

 Natthon said the June 19-25 operations had rounded up 11,296 law breaking foreigners – most of whom were Myanmar citizens (5,418 persons). He said such a crackdown would be held monthly from now on. He said that since April 20, the fine for overstaying a visa had been hiked from the usual rate of Bt500 a day to anything beyond that but no more than Bt20,000.

Natthon also revealed the successful arrest of alleged Australian drug trafficker Jeremiah Iustini on June 14. The suspect was wanted for possession of 538 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine or “ice” worth Bt18 billion found in waterproof bags floating off the New Zealand coast, Natthon said.

Natthon said the man allegedly stored the narcotics mid-sea so he could tow them back for delivery. He was intercepted at Suvarnabhumi Airport and returned to New Zealand, while Thai police also put his information onto the country’s blacklist.

Natthon said the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok’s Police Liaison Counselor Gary Knowles and Custom Counselor Brian Lamb yesterday brought a statement from the New Zealand police chief to thank the Thai Immigration Bureau for its cooperation in this case too.