Report Thai Authorities Disrupt Human Smuggling Operation in Kanchanaburi

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Picture courtesy of MGR Online

 

In a significant operation, Thai authorities have dismantled a human smuggling route in Kanchanaburi, apprehending 20 Myanmar migrants hiding in a rubber plantation. This action followed a dawn raid led by Chakrit Tanpirul, the district chief of Thong Pha Phum.

 

On June 19, officials acted on a tip-off about a group of Myanmar nationals being smuggled through the Sangkhla Buri border, intending to hide in Thong Pha Phum before moving onward.

 

Governor Athisan Intra initiated Operation SEAL STOP SAVE, deploying territorial defence volunteers and local leaders. A surveillance point near Ban Keringkravia in the Chalae subdistrict revealed no immediate signs, leading officers to patrol a nearby dirt road in the plantation.

 

At 6 a.m. on June 18, this change in strategy yielded results—20 migrants were discovered sheltered among the trees. Despite attempts to scatter, officers quickly rounded up the group, consisting of 17 men and three women, each carrying minimal personal belongings without any contraband.

 

Lacking legal identification and unable to communicate in Thai, a translator was brought in. The migrants revealed they had travelled from Yangon and Mandalay, entering Thailand via natural trails in Myanmar’s Payathonzu district. Their aim was to reach Malaysia for work, having been promised jobs by brokers for a fee of 6,500 Malaysian Ringgits (around 55,000 baht).

 

Now, they face legal proceedings for illegal entry and residence in Thailand. The entire group has been taken to Thong Pha Phum Police Station for further questioning.

 

This crackdown is part of a broader initiative to combat human trafficking in the region, underscoring Thailand's commitment to dismantling such illegal operations.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-06-20