Delta rife among illegal migrants

More than 60 Myanmar migrants have been arrested in Prachuap Khiri Khan for illegally entering Thailand, with 10% found to be infected with the Delta variant of Covid-19.

Rewat Sukhom, chief of Muang district public health office, yesterday told media that soldiers from a special task force worked with administrative officials and village heads to arrest 34 Myanmar migrants in tambon Ao Noi.

It was also reported that another 29 illegal migrants were caught around tambon Koh Lak and Khlong Wan located near the border. All would be deported back to their country.

Mr Rewat said more than 100 illegal migrants had been arrested in the past 15 days, with 10% of them having been found to have contracted Covid-19 — all with the Delta variant.

However, as the quarantine at the 146th company of Border Patrol Police was unable to house them all, the illegal migrants were detained at Muang Police Station, its superintendent Pol Col Samur Yoosamran said.

A report from the security department said that the group were then deported back to Ban Moo Dong in Myanmar’s Tanintharyi region located opposite the Sing Khon border.

In a separate development, Pha Muang task force caught 25 Myanmar migrants, including seven women, around Ban Luang village in Fang district of Chiang Mai for illegal entry on Thursday.

All confessed they were heading to Bangkok to seek work, task force chief Maj Gen Narit Thavornwong said.

A further six illegal migrants were also caught that day. None tested positive for Covid-19.

In Sa Kaeo, the 12th Ranger Regiment arrested a Thai migrant smuggler, Mongkol Sawasdi, 35, from Surin, along with seven Cambodian migrants — three of them women — around Nong Sang Intersection in Aranyaprathet district.

The seven confessed to heading to Chachoengsao for work. All were later sent to Aranyaprathet police for legal action, 12th Ranger Regiment commander Col Ekkapong Krittayakiatchuti said.