Police arrest 14 in Chanthaburi over alleged Chinese smuggling

Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), led by the Highway Police Division, arrested 14 suspects—two Thai nationals on charges of harbouring or otherwise assisting foreign nationals to evade arrest, and 12 Chinese nationals on charges of entering and residing in the Kingdom without permission. 

The arrests were made on a road in a side lane in Sai Khao subdistrict, Soi Dao district, Chanthaburi province.

Police said they have continued to investigate and crack down on illegal foreign nationals entering Thailand. The investigation found an organised network in which Cambodian and Thai brokers worked together to bring Chinese nationals into the country via natural border crossings, before transporting them to inland areas.

Officers later received intelligence indicating that Chinese nationals would be smuggled through a natural crossing near Ban Phak Kat in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi. They then deployed personnel to intercept the group. 

Officers spotted three suspicious vehicles travelling in convoy along a lane through longan orchards in Sai Khao subdistrict, Soi Dao district, Chanthaburi. Police signalled for the vehicles to stop for inspection. 

After the lead vehicle stopped, the two following vehicles—a Toyota Fortuner and a Mitsubishi Pajero—immediately turned around in an attempt to flee. Officers gave chase and successfully stopped them.

A check of the Fortuner found a Thai man driving, with six Chinese nationals hiding inside. The Pajero was driven by another Thai man, with another six Chinese nationals inside. 

Working with an interpreter, officers checked the documents of the 12 Chinese nationals and found that 10 had passports but no Thai immigration entry stamps, while two had no documents at all.

Police informed all suspects of the charges and their rights before handing them over to investigators for legal proceedings. All suspects initially confessed.