Cops arrest 107 illegal foreigners in nationwide sweep
Police arrested 107 foreigners for visa offences and illegal entry during coordinated raids on 83 locations across the country early yesterday.
Three Thais were also held for other offences, Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau said.
The raids targeted locations in Bangkok and other provinces frequented by foreigners. Thirty of them were schools — two international schools, four language academies and 24 secondary schools. Eleven suspects were charged with overstaying their visas. Five were from Myanmar, and one each from Vietnam, Cambodia, Nigeria, Russia, Germany and Britain.
Some 92 were charged with illegal entry. Fifty nine came from Myanmar, 11 from Laos, nine from Cambodia, five from India, three from Vietnam, and one each from Malaysia, China, Nigeria, the United States and Sweden.
Seven others — three from Thailand, two from Myanmar and one each from the Philippines and India, were charged with other offences, Pol Maj Gen Surachate said.
The string of raids were the 15th in an ongoing crackdown, dubbed “X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner”.
Since it began last October, the crackdown targets foreigners who overstay their visa. Another focus is on those who enter the country to commit transnational and other crimes, including romance scams, credit card fraud and drug trafficking and dealing.
It is a joint effort involving the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, the Patrol and Special Operations Division, the Tourist Police Bureau, the Central Investigation Bureau, the Immigration Office and police.
So far, a total of 1,517 foreign suspects have been caught across the country.
Pol Maj Gen Surachate said the problem of foreigners entering the country illegally and overstaying their visas has gradually improved.
He asked operators of restaurants and other businesses in tourist areas to alert authorities if they suspect foreigners of overstaying their visas or committing offences. They can call the tourist police Hotline 1155 around the clock.