Myanmar woman arrested in Phuket in connection with human trafficking
Darawan Naknakhon

PHUKET: -- A Myanmar woman was arrested yesterday (Jan 28) for assisting her husband detain 32 migrants at fishing pier in Koh Sirey. Her husband managed to escape arrest.

The 32 men, all Myanmar nationals, are believed to be the victims of human trafficking and have been taken to Phuket City Police to be questioned.

Phuket City Police led by Lt Col Khunnadet Na Nongkhai together with human traffic crime suppression police, Mr Ko Tee from the Myanmar Embassy Thailand and officials from the Labour Right Promotion Network (LPN) yesterday arrested 38-year-old Ma Yo at a shelter at the entrance to the fishing pier in Rassda.

Officials rescued the 32 men who claim to have been tricked into coming to work as fishermen and have since been forced into the fishing industry by Ma Yo and her husband.

Lt Col Khunnadet said that the arrest came after one Myanmar migrant named Nai escaped from a fishing boat and managed to borrow a mobile phone from a local resident. He immediately called his family in Myanmar and requested they alert the embassy about the group’s situation.

Full Story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/myanmar-woman-arrested-in-phuket-in-connection-with-human-trafficking-55995.php

-- Phuket News 2016-01-29

I thought the government just said there were no more slaves in Thailand! LOL

It is alleged that Arpad gets the workers from another agent in Prachuab Khirikhan before handing them over to people involved in the fishing industry in Phuket once a price for the men has been agreed.