SA KAEO: A police chase in Watthana Nakhon district on Thursday ended with the arrests of two Thais and nine Cambodian illegal migrants, along with the seizure of cartons of cigarettes.
Police were despatched along the Thai-Cambodian border in Watthana Nakhon district following information that a group of Cambodian illegal migrants had crossed the border, and smugglers were about to take them to board vehicles at a border village in Khok Sung district, said Pol Lt Col Prasit Lekdee of Thap Mai police station in Watthana Nakhon.
At around 11am on Thursday, police spotted two vehicles - a Mitsubishi Pajero SUV and a Toyota car - travelling along the route.The officers signalled the drivers of the vehicles to stop, but both sped away. The police pursued and radioed officers at other checkpoints to block the two vehicles.
After a more than 50-km pursuit, the officers managed to stop the two vehicles in Thap Mai area of Watthana Nakhon district.
Nine Cambodians - four men, four women and a 10-year-old boy - were found crammed inside the Toyota car, which had Udon Thani licence plates.
None of the Cambodian nationals had entry documents, and the licence plates were found to be fake, said police. The real Khon Kaen licence plates were found hidden inside the car.
Driver Sompong Saen-ongard, 42, of Sa Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet district, confessed he had been hired for 1,000 baht to transport the Cambodian migrants from a border village in Khok Sung district to Chachoengsao province. He claimed that it was the first time he had taken this kind of job.
The Pajero SUV, carrying Chon Buri licence plates, was packed with bags containing household items, clothes and cartons of cigarettes of various brands. No passengers were inside the vehicle.
Ms Khwandao Insee, 31, of Nong Bua Lam Phu province, said she had been hired to transport the bags, and insisted she did not know who owned them.
One of the Cambodians, Sen Dawi, told police that she had sought permission from a Thai employer to return to her home in Cambodia. Her passport and other documents had been kept by her Thai boss, she claimed.
The two drivers were charged with smuggling illegal migrants into the country. The Cambodians were charged with illegal entry and held in police custody for legal action.
The Toyota car with fake Pathum Thani licence plates that was used to smuggle nine Cambodian migrants. (Photo by Sawat Ketngam)
Cartons of cigarettes are found in a Pajero SUV. (Photo by Sawat Ketngam)