NAKHON SI THAMMARAT -- Police have warrants for the arrest of 11 more suspects in the trafficking of 98 smuggled Rohingya migrants intercepted in Hua Sai district in January.
Thesa Siriwatho, chief of Region 8 Provincial Police, announced the move after a meeting on Wednesday with Pol Maj Gen Wanchai Ekpornpich, chief of the Nakhon Si Thammarat police, and chiefs of police stations in the province to discuss progress in the case.
The investigation centres on the discovery of 98 undocumented Rohingya migrants at a road checkpoint in Hua Sai district on Jan 11 this year when police stopped a convoy of five pickup trucks for a routine search.
The migrants, believed to have been on their way to Malaysia, had been held at a temporary shelter in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Police earlier obtained warrants for 58 Thai and foreign trafficking suspects, of whom 30 have been arrested. The other 28 remain free.
One of the key suspects arrested was Hafish Dildar, a Myanmar national. Apprehended in Bangkok, he was taken to Ranong province for further questioning about his accomplices.
At Wednesday's meeting it was confirmed arrest warrants had been issued for 11 more suspects. This lifted the total number of suspects in the case to 69, Pol Lt Gen Thesa said.
Asked about security in areas under Region 8 Provincial Police, Pol Lt Gen Thesa said national police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda had instructed that local police pay particular attention to tourist spots and other places where large numbers of people gather, such as railway stations and airports.
Extra police patrols were being deployed to improve security. Surveillance cameras were being checked to ensure they were all functional, he said.