Its too expensive I may leave

[Georgealbert]

 

 

Police Lieutenant Colonel Phakdi Tan-anukul of Lang Suan Police Station, Chumphon Province, received a report at approximately 12.00 on October 17, that a group of unconscious individuals had been found in a forest near Khao Seka Wanaram Temple, Village 4, Wang Tako Subdistrict, Lang Suan District. Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered two dead bodies and eight severely injured people among a total of ten individuals scattered in the area. All victims were migrant workers, later confirmed to be of Rohingya origin.

 

The police, along with rescue teams from Saichon Rescue Foundation, immediately transported the deceased and injured to Lang Suan Hospital and Thung Tako Hospital for treatment and autopsies. Investigations at the scene revealed numerous water bottles and deep tyre marks, suggesting a heavily loaded vehicle had been present.

 

 

 

Abbot Phra Athikarn Thada Kititharo of Khao Seka Wanaram Temple stated that earlier that morning, he noticed a group of people acting erratically near the temple. Upon closer inspection, he found several individuals in a distressed state, with some already dead. He promptly notified the authorities.

 

Local residents reported seeing a covered pickup truck in the area, but thought it was merely transporting goods. They were unaware of the tragic events unfolding until later.

 

Preliminary investigations suggest that the National Police Bureau had recently ordered stricter checkpoints in the area. To avoid detection, it is believed the human traffickers, transporting Rohingya workers from Mae Sot District in Tak Province to Songkhla Province, diverted from the main road into the forest to evade a checkpoint. The victims had been crammed into a closed pickup truck with no ventilation, leading to two deaths due to suffocation.

 

According to an interpreter, the group consisted of 26 Rohingya workers who had been smuggled from Myanmar’s Rakhine State. After a harrowing 10 day boat journey along the Salween River, followed by a 10 day trek, they arrived in Mae Sot. Nearly 100 people had initially gathered there, but only those who could pay the traffickers were crammed into the van for the duration of the journey with no food or proper ventilation.

 

The group had been on the road for a day without food before the traffickers, realising that some of the migrants were dead or critically injured, abandoned them in the forest near the temple. They left the 10 victims behind and continued their journey toward Songkhla with the remaining migrants.

 

The police are continuing their investigation to track down the traffickers and ensure that those responsible for this tragedy are brought to justice.

 

Picture from responders.

-- 2024-10-18