CIB Arrests Labour Smuggling Broker in Chiang Mai

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has arrested a key broker in an illegal migrant smuggling network during a multi-agency operation in Chiang Mai, as part of efforts to dismantle organised cross-border labour trafficking. Officers from the Crime Suppression Division, Highway Police and Anti-Human Trafficking Division coordinated the operation, leading to the capture of a suspected middleman linked to a wider network moving workers into central Thailand.

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The suspect, identified as Thongphi, also known as “Mack”, aged 36 and a Myanmar national, was arrested at a rented room in Wang Tan subdistrict, Saraphi district, Chiang Mai. He was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by Phichit Provincial Court on 9 March 2026 on charges of harbouring and assisting illegal migrants. Authorities said he played a central role in arranging transport routes and coordinating logistics within the network.

The arrest follows an earlier operation on 16 February 2026, when highway police and partner units detained three suspects and 25 Myanmar nationals, along with three vehicles and three mobile phones. Those arrested at the time named Thongphi as the organiser, prompting further investigation and the issuance of a warrant. The group reportedly operated a structured system with lead vehicles to monitor checkpoints and transport vehicles to move migrants onwards.

According to police, the network transported workers from border areas in Chiang Rai through Chiang Mai and into inner provinces including Nakhon Sawan and Phichit. Payments ranged from 7,000 to 10,000 baht per trip for drivers, while the broker received around 3,500 baht per person. Each trip involved between 20 and 50 migrants, with more than 10 trips conducted monthly.

Following his arrest, Thongphi reportedly confessed to acting as a broker receiving migrants from border-based networks, particularly from Tachileik, before arranging their transfer towards Bangkok. Authorities said the operation involved Thai collaborators who handled onward transport in central regions.

Thaitabloid reported that police stated that investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend additional members of the network, including upstream brokers and coordinators. Officials emphasised that all suspects remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, and said the case highlights the risks and scale of organised illegal labour smuggling in the region.

Picture courtesy of Thaitabloid

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Thaitablod 28 Apr 2026