Immigration Bureau tightens border control after over 800 migrants flee KK Park
Immigration Bureau intensifies screening after over 800 migrants, mostly Chinese without passports, crossed from KK Park into Mae Sot, Tak.
Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimpadee, spokesperson for the Immigration Bureau, said on Thursday that Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Panumas Bunyalak had ordered Tak immigration police to work closely with local security agencies to crack down on illegal border crossings following reports of a large influx of foreigners from Myanmar.
On the morning of October 22, more than 800 migrants were detained in Tak province. Immigration officers joined with security units to conduct detailed screenings using mobile biometric devices and patrol vehicles equipped with portable scanners to verify identities, travel histories, and criminal records.
The bureau stressed that all legal actions would be strictly enforced.
Many Chinese among detainees, some with criminal records
Initial checks found that most of the migrants were Chinese nationals aged between 20 and 45, many without passports. Fingerprint and biometric comparisons with criminal databases revealed that some had prior convictions.
Authorities are now reviewing international arrest warrants and further records. Other detainees include nationals from Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines, all currently under custody for evidence collection and legal processing.
Front-line operations centre set up to tackle illegal entries
Choengron added that Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, deputy national police chief and head of the Royal Thai Police’s Transnational Crime Suppression Division, instructed Provincial Police Region 6, the Immigration Bureau, and Border Patrol Police to coordinate with all security agencies.
A front-line operations centre has been established at the 3rd Mae Sot Territorial Defence Volunteer Company in Tak. The centre will systematically screen all foreign entrants, and any violations of law will be dealt with decisively.
