Trafficking suspect details litany of police bribes

Trafficking suspect details litany of police bribes

Greased palms ease migrant smuggling through Kanchanaburi, suspect claims

Mr Win (in white t-shirt) testifies during an inquiry at a ranger unit in Kanchanaburi's Muang district. (Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)
Mr Win (in white t-shirt) testifies during an inquiry at a ranger unit in Kanchanaburi's Muang district. (Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)

KANCHANABURI — A Myanmar man arrested for smuggling migrant workers into the province accused local police and defence volunteers of taking bribes to facilitate his illegal trade.

Identified only as Win, the 30-year-old accused trafficker was caught Sunday with seven illegal Myanmar workers inside his Bangkok-registered Honda CRV at a military checkpoint on Ban Pu Nam Ron-Muang Kanchanaburi Road in Muang district.

During a video-recorded inquiry conducted by soldiers, police and provincial authorities at a ranger unit in Ban Kao sub-district, Mr Win claimed he routinely paid off security officers at every checkpoint he crossed between Kahchanaburi and Suphan Buri.

The allegation was the second such one levelled against security officials here. Another Myanmar trafficker arrested in December also accused officials at the Ban Pu Nam Ron-Htee Ki border checkpoint, and many local policemen, of taking bribes from his smuggling network to look the other way.

Mr Win said he was hired by a Thai businesswoman in Suphan Buri, whom he knew only as Ju, to smuggle Myanmar workers into Thailand and drive them to her. He was paid 6,000 baht for each illegal migrant worker.

With the help of a Myanmar human trafficker, workers would cross to the Thai side at Ban Pu Nam Ron-Htee Ki border checkpoint in Ban Kao using a temporary border pass. 

Later, Mon and Karen villagers would pick them up with their motorcycles and travel a mountain road along the Thai-Myanmar border to avoid checkpoint inspections. The Myanmar workers would be dropped off at Moo 2 village in Ban Kao where Mr Win would be waiting with his Honda.

String of bribes

The suspect allegedly confessed to paying 200 baht per migrant to a former assistant village chief known only as Tong for passage through a checkpoint set up near the Ban Pu Nam Ron border crossing by provincial defence volunteers.

He said he paid additional bribes of 400 baht each to a police sub-lieutenant identified only as Ood to grease his way through a Nor Por Por checkpoint run by a police special-operations unit; plus 400 baht each to a police senior sergeant major nicknamed Mod Dang to clear the Ban Nam Khao checkpoint in Ban Kao.

Finally, he said he would have to pay an extra 400 baht for each worker if officers from Provincial Police Region 7 were present at the Ban Nam Khao checkpoint.

Mr Win also said he paid 3,000 baht per trip to a checkpoint controlled by officers from three units under Provincial Police Region 7.

It was not clear yet if the Nor Por Por unit allegedly taking bribes is attached to Kanchanaburi provincial police force or Provincial Police Region 7.

Mr Win said he regularly smuggled migrant workers, some of whom did not even have passports, in and out of Thailand and did not think he would be arrested because he had bribed officials at every checkpoint he passed.

Checking his story

District chief Sattha Kachaplayook said 12 Mon and Karen accomplices had previously confessed to assisting Mr Win in the trafficking. Authorities had recorded their personal information and warned them they would be deported if they are found to be involved with any illegal activity again.

Mr Sattha said Mr Tong, the assistant village chief linked to the trafficking gang, refused to meet him for questioning. He quoted his wife as saying plainly that the Mon and Karen villagers gave her husband money to thank him for letting them drive past his property.

Soldiers and provincial authorities are collecting evidence to verify Mr Win's allegations, Mr Sattha said.

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