Police Arrest 45 Laotians As Illegal Migrants

[george]

Police arrest 45 Laotians as illegal migrants

YASOTHORN: -- At least 45 Laotians have been detained as illegal migrants in Thailand's northeastern border province of Yasothorn, police said on Tuesday.

The arrests took place today after two separate vehicle searches at road blocks in the area.

Local Highway Police Captain Prakasit Viriyaphan said the first 36 Laotians were arrested after officers searched a bus heading from Bangkok to Khemaraj district in Ubon Ratchathani Province near the Thai-Lao border.

He said the 26 men and 10 women carried neither passports, nor travel documents.

''They said they worked in factories in Bangkok and were travelling back home to celebrate the Makha Pucha Day in Suwannakhet in Laos tomorrow,'' Pol. Capt. Prakasit said.

The detainees will be deported to Laos soon through a checkpoint in Khemaraj district.

In a separate search, highway police from Roi-et Province arrested another nine Laotians in Yasothorn Province after a vehicle chase.

Two alleged people smugglers, both policemen, were also arrested.

The two policemen were identified as Pol. Sen. Sgt. Maj. Kingphet Surin and Pol. Sgt. Maj. Manit Chanaphan, both of a provincial police station in Mudaharn Province.

The Laotians were charged with illegal entry and will be deported at a local checkpoint in Mukdahan Province, while the two police will face a charge of smuggling illegal migrants.

--TNA 2005-02-22

[Ajarn]

Tamada, tamada....