Prawit ups war on gangs:

Money laundering law to be applied

Anti-money laundering legislation is to be used against gangs smuggling in migrant workers blamed for fanning the recent Covid-19 outbreak.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has instructed security agencies, including the Royal Thai Police, Interior Ministry and Labour

Ministry to act swiftly against the gangs, which have acted in collusion with unscrupulous state officials.

The gangs were hired by migrant workers to help them slip into the country illegally, evading the mandatory health screening and, where necessary, the quarantine.

The problem has contributed to a spike in Covid-19 infections in several provinces.

Defence Ministry spokesman Lt Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich said Gen Prawit ordered that offenders be charged with money laundering as well as labour smuggling.

The authorities will also expand their inquiries to catch state officials who had organised or helped the gangs.

The gangs have colluded with Thai nationals, minority ethnic groups and Thai state officials, said Lt Gen Kongcheep.

They routinely assisted migrants to cross into Thailand through natural borders and place them in transit accommodation before transporting them to their employers.

Meanwhile, the army is preparing to beef up border security patrols ahead of the registration of illegal foreign workers in Thailand.

Registration will be open from Friday to Feb 13 to migrants working here illegally.

The authorities want to keep them in check in an effort to help combat the spread of the virus.

Deputy army spokeswoman, Col Sirichan Ngathong, said yesterday the army had thrown its support behind the registration of illegal migrant workers.

The army and border patrol units have been assigned to study details of the workers’ registration documents so they can properly aid the process.

More soldiers and equipment have been deployed to stem the inflow of illegal migrants while the army has also been in close contact with security agencies in neighbouring countries to coordinate intelligence and other work around the clock, the deputy spokeswoman said.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, meanwhile, said the two government-appointed ad hoc panels to probe labour smuggling gangs and illegal gambling dens had yet to start work because not enough members had been recruited.

The gangs and t he dens are being blamed f or the spread of the coronavirus.