NARATHIWAT: A combined patrol of administrative officials and police arrested seven Vietnamese nationals -- two men and five women -- after they illegally crossed the Thai-Malaysian border into Thailand in Sungai Kolok district on Monday night.
The seven were arrested at 11pm after they crossed the Sungai Kolok river from Malaysia's Kelantan State to Kwa Ro Sila village in tambon Pasemat by boat, Sungai Kolok district chief Rungruang Thimabut said on Tuesday.
From questioning through an interpreter, it emerged that the two Vietnamese men had illegally worked at a factory in Malaysia. The five women also entered Malaysia illegally and drifted from place to place seeking employment.
Since the Malaysian authorities had taken stringent measures against illegal migrants, they sought help from brokers to help them sneak across the border to Thailand.
When their boat landed on the Thai side of the border, the Malaysian brokers jumped overboard on seeing the Thai authorities and swam back to Malaysia, Mr Rungruang said.