30 Cambodians arrested in Chanthaburi for allegedly sneaking into Thailand
Thai marines, police and immigration officers arrested 30 Cambodians and a Thai smuggler in Chanthaburi after an alleged illegal border crossing to seek work.
Troops from the Chanthaburi Marine Task Force, along with local police and immigration officers, arrested 30 Cambodians on Sunday morning after they allegedly crossed the border illegally in an attempt to find work deeper in Thailand.
Royal Thai Navy spokesperson Rear Adm Parach Rattanachaiphan said marines worked with officers from Ban Plaeng Police Station and the Pong Nam Ron Immigration Office to arrest the Cambodians and a Thai smuggler in Ban Laem Mai village, Thep Nimit Subdistrict, Pong Nam Ron district.
He said the Thai suspect was transporting the group in a pickup truck and was travelling along a natural trail near the district’s border with Cambodia.
Those arrested included 10 men, 10 women and 10 children.
Parach said the Cambodians told authorities they had left Cambodia due to poverty and economic hardship and were seeking jobs in Thailand.
He said the group was initially provided with humanitarian assistance, including food and drinking water, as well as basic medical treatment. He added that officers treated them with politeness and dignity while they were held for legal action and deportation.
Parach said the Royal Thai Navy would fully cooperate with police to prevent human trafficking along the border and ensure Thailand is not used by traffickers to exploit people in need.
