Thai naval forces have arrested four Chinese nationals who crossed illegally into Thailand through a natural border route in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province. Authorities also seized 29 mobile phones and cash in several currencies, highlighting ongoing concerns over transnational cyber scam networks operating along border areas.
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Rear Admiral Parat Rattanachaiyan, spokesman for the Royal Thai Navy, said the arrests were made at 7pm on 29 May 2026. The operation was carried out by the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command and a special marine task force after border checkpoints had been closed and surveillance teams deployed along the frontier.
Officers spotted a group of five individuals entering an area under observation and moved in to detain them. Four suspects were arrested, while a fifth person, believed to be the group’s guide, escaped back across the border into Cambodia using local knowledge of the terrain.
Initial questioning indicated that the group had relied on brokers and guides to facilitate the illegal border crossing from Cambodia into Thailand. One of those arrested told investigators that he had worked in the gambling business in Cambodia for approximately four months before entering Thailand illegally.
A search of the suspects’ belongings uncovered 29 mobile phones and cash in several currencies, including Thai baht, Chinese yuan, Lao kip and Vietnamese dong. The items were seized as evidence while investigators work to identify and trace any wider network connections.
The navy spokesman said the case reflects continuing attempts by people-smuggling operations and transnational criminal groups to move individuals across the border. Authorities are particularly concerned about cyber scam networks that continue to use natural border crossings to facilitate their activities.
Following the arrests, all four suspects were handed over to investigators at Ban Plaeng Police Station and immigration officers in Chanthaburi for further legal proceedings. Officials stated that the operation was conducted in strict compliance with the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act 2022, while respecting the rights of those detained.
The Daily News reported that authorities said they will continue intensive surveillance, patrol operations and intelligence-sharing with relevant security agencies to prevent illegal border crossings and disrupt criminal activities that could affect national security.
Pictures courtesy of Daily News
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailynews 1 June 2026