
SONGKHLA – Ten illegal migrants from Myanmar seeking jobs in Malaysia and two Thai drivers have been arrested by police in Chana district of this southern Thai province.
A team of immigration and highway police intercepted a Honda sedan and a Mitsubishi Pajero on a local road in tambon Taling Chan of Chana district on Saturday evening.
They were acting on a tip-off that two vehicles would smuggle illegal migrants from Chana to Thepa district, said Pol Col Chanokruadee Pongsiri, superintendent of Highway Police Division 7.
The Thai drivers were identified as Donjaras Marnbao, 44, and Nurhasan Dee-mae, 30.
Mr Donjaras drove the Honda car, which was driven ahead as a lookout, while Mr Nurhasan was in the Pajero packed with 10 Myanmar nationals—seven men and three women.
All the Myanmar nationals and both Thai drivers were held in police custody for legal action.
Police said the drivers confessed to being paid 2,000 baht each to collect the illegal migrants from the roadside in Songkhla’s Rattapoom district and transport them to Muang district of Pattani province, where they would be collected by another vehicle.
The drivers said they were hired by a Pattani resident known to them only as Bae-Ning, and had done this a few times previously.
Pol Col Chanokruadee said all the Myanmar nationals, most of them from Yangon, had already travelled five days before being arrested. They were to pay about 120,000 baht each to a Myanmar broker in Malaysia once they arrived there.