KANCHANABURI: Police and soldiers arrested another 218 illegal Myanmar border crossers in Sangkhla Buri district on Tuesday morning, the biggest group caught in the district this year.
There were 122 men, 93 women and three chidren in the group
They were seen waiting in a palm plantation about 9.30am by a local resident, near the border in Ban Huai Kob village in tambon Nong Lu of Sangkhla Buri district. He informed local authorities.
The detained migants said they came from Mawlamyine, Bago, Pa-an and Phaya Tong Su in Myanmar. Following three Myanmar guides, they walked through forest from Phaya Tong Su on Monday evening and through the night to the planttion where they were arrested.
Most were waiting for transport to jobs in tambon Maha Chai of Samut Sakhon province, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Ratchaburi, Bangkok and Prachuap Khiri Khan. Some expected to work in Kanchanaburi. Each had paid 25,000-26,000 baht to job brokers.
Pol Col Pipat Rungsampan, acting chief of Sangkhla Buri police station, said it was the largest group of illegal crossers from Myanmar caught in Sangkhla Buri this year.