Border Patrol Police Fire Shots to Stop Human Smuggling Convoy

Picture courtesy of Daily News.

Border patrol officers opened fire on the tyres of two fleeing vehicles in a dramatic pursuit that ended with the arrest of 19 people suspected of involvement in human smuggling.

The incident occurred on 16 August, after intelligence indicated that a trafficking network was transporting migrant workers through southern Thailand. The operation was ordered by senior commanders, including Pol Lt Gen Nitinai Lhangyanai, commander of the Border Patrol Police Bureau, and Pol Maj Gen Narong Thanlanantakul, commander of the 4th Region Border Patrol.

Pol Col Pimnarat Thammatip, head of Border Patrol Police Subdivision 42, deployed his team along Highway 41 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Officers spotted a white pick-up truck and a white Volvo car travelling at high speed. When ordered to stop for inspection, the drivers accelerated, prompting police to give chase.

The pursuit ended in Rattaphum district, Songkhla province, when officers fired at the vehicles’ tyres, forcing them to a halt.

Inside the Volvo, police found four suspects, three Thais and one Myanmar national. The pick-up truck contained 15 Myanmar migrants. In total, 19 people were detained.

Investigations revealed the group had travelled from Kui Buri district, Prachuap Khiri Khan province and were bound for Songkhla, intending to cross into Malaysia.

Thai suspects face charges of assisting illegal migrants under Section 64 of the Immigration Act, while the Myanmar nationals were charged with illegal entry and remaining in the country in violation of Section 81 of the same Act. All detainees have been handed over for legal proceedings.

Authorities say the crackdown reflects heightened efforts to combat trafficking and illegal migration across Thailand’s southern border.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Daily News 2025-08-18