Security Forces Capture Traffickers Smuggling 39 Migrants

Pictures courtesy of Daily News.

Soldiers and police in Kanchanaburi have intercepted two vehicles carrying 39 undocumented Myanmar nationals, following a chase near the Thai–Myanmar border.

On 2 September, Lieutenant General Atsadawut Panyarachun, Commander of the 9th Infantry Division and head of the Surasih Task Force, confirmed that security forces had received intelligence about an illegal migrant smuggling operation. Acting on the tip-off, the Larn Ya Task Force, Border Patrol Police, local immigration officers and Thong Pha Phum district officials set up checkpoints along Highway 323.

At around 07:00, officers spotted two suspicious vehicles heavily loaded and attempted to stop them. Instead, both drivers accelerated, prompting a pursuit. The chase ended in Ban Prang Kasi, Thong Pha Phum district, where the vehicles were forced to a halt.

Inside, police discovered 39 undocumented migrants from Myanmar, 28 men and 11 women, packed into the trucks. Two Thai drivers, aged 55 and 46, were arrested at the scene.

Interrogation through an interpreter revealed that the migrants had trekked from Yangon into Thailand via natural border crossings in Sangkhla Buri district. They had been guided through back routes to evade checkpoints before being picked up by the traffickers’ vehicles.

Their destination was Pathum Thani province, with some intending to continue on to Pattani before attempting to cross into Malaysia. Each migrant reportedly agreed to pay traffickers between 15,000 and 30,000 baht upon reaching their final destination.

All 41 individuals, including the drivers, were taken into custody, along with the two vehicles. They were handed over to Thong Pha Phum Police Station for legal proceedings. Authorities have launched an investigation to identify and arrest other members of the trafficking network.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Daily News 2025-09-03