THAI COPS NAB 45 ILLEGALS HEADING TO MALAYSIA

Residents alert police after spotting Myanmar migrants hiding in rubber plantation

FThe illegal immigrants were from Mawlamyine, Yangon, Bago and Rakhine townships in Myanmar. They each paid between 20,000 and 30,000 baht to brokers for promised jobs in Samut Sakhon, Rayong, Kanchanaburi and Bangkok.

ORTY-FIVE illegal Myanmar migrants who were attemping to sneak into Malaysia were detained after authorities found them hiding in a rubber plantation in Ron Phibun.

The 29 men and 16 women were spotted hiding at the rubber plantation by local residents on Friday, who then alerted the police about their presence.

The Bangkok Post reported that police arrested the group and initial investigations revealed that they entered Thailand through the border in Ranong and Chumphon provinces.

Thai police also said each of them had paid between 45,000 and 50,000 baht to brokers for jobs in Malaysia.

Once in Thailand, they were taken in three vans and arrived at the rubber plantation on Thursday.

They were waiting for the brokers to take them across the border into Malaysia.

District police chief Suthas Songsayom said they would be charged with illegal entry and deported after completing legal proceedings.

Meanwhile in Kanchanaburi province, police nabbed 66 Myanmar nationals who entered Thailand illegally in search of jobs in two separate incidents.

In the first case, Thong Pha Phum district police chief Captain Pradit Raephet said about 2am on Monday, a car sped past a police booth after ignoring orders to stop for a search.

Police gave chase and during the pursuit, the car ran off the winding road and crashed.

Checks later revealed there were eight Myanmar nationals — three men and five women — packed in the car. They sustained minor injuries. All, including the car driver, were detained.

The Post report said they had paid 28,000 baht each to job agents for work in Thailand.

They had entered Thailand through the border at Sangkhla Buri district and were heading to Thong Pha Phum district when they were caught.

Also in Thong Pha Phum district, a military-police joint patrol detained 58 illegals from Myanmar at three separate spots on Monday.

Thirty-five men and 23 women were detained, along with three Thai men who were acting as their guides.

The illegal immigrants were from Mawlamyine, Yangon, Bago and Rakhine townships in Myanmar. They each paid between 20,000 and 30,000 baht to brokers for promised jobs in Samut Sakhon, Rayong, Kanchanaburi and Bangkok.

All of them will be charged with illegal entry and deported.