Two suspects, who allegedly lured Thais to work on fishing trawlers in Indonesian waters last October, were arrested on Monday. A third suspect is still at large.
The first suspect, identified as Montree Mukpol, 53, allegedly acted as an agent who lured victims into thinking they would be getting well-paid jobs at the seaport in Samut Sakhon province. The victims were later forced to work on fishing trawlers.
The other suspect, Phamorn Junto, 52, a ship owner, allegedly forced the labourers to work, said Department of Special Investigation (DSI) director-general Suwana Suwanjuta yesterday.
The DSI believes the third suspect has fled abroad, she said.
At least 30 Thai and Myanmar fishermen were exploited in the scam in Indonesian waters. They were rescued after seeking help from a labour rights network, and brought back to Thailand.
The labour group visited Indonesia's Ambon island in late August to inspect conditions of several deep-sea trawlers and met Thai and Myanmar fishermen who wanted to return home.
Pol Lt Col Phaisit Sangkhahaphong, director of the DSI's anti-human trafficking centre said the traffickers would find their victims at public spaces like bus stops and train stations.
"From our investigation, which is still underway, we have learned that Hua Lamphong railway station and Mo Chit bus station were the main places where the victims were deceived. The main targets tended to be those who came from other provinces seeking jobs with better pay," he said.
"The victims we found were forced to work on trawlers for a year or two. The worse thing is that even kids aged between 13-15 years old have been abused in the industry," Pol Lt Col Phaisit added.
Offenders face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of 80,000-200,000 baht. The punishment could increase if a victim is younger than 15, according to Pol Lt Col Phaisit.
Some victims suffered mentally and would need help recovering from the ordeal, said Patcharee Naewpanich, director of a division which helps victims of human trafficking at the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.
"It is not easy to help the male victims, as many of them feel they have failed to find a good job for their families and they have denied their families a chance to start a new life," she said.
The DSI chief urged the media to deliver "appropriate" coverage of human trafficking news, especially when it comes to the victims' identities.
"We want to urge the media not to reveal the victims' identities so we can protect them from the abuse," Ms Suwana said.
The DSI is investigating another three groups allegedly involved in human trafficking in the fishing industry, she said.
Meanwhile, a team of state agencies, including the Labour Ministry and Marine Department, inspected fishing businesses in Samut Songkhram yesterday where they found some migrant workers are getting a wage lower than the legal limit of 300 baht a day.
Authorities also found sanitation and safety problems at some firms. They plan to issue orders asking the owners of trawlers to improve conditions for the workers as well as raising their wage.
Somwang Kaewchaicharoenkit, captain of the Masayanawa 17 fishing boat, said fishing operators who have managed to obtain a fishing licence tend to follow regulations strictly but they currently face a labour shortage.