Kanchanaburi—
At 9:00 AM, on April 4th, 2024, Mueang Kanchanaburi police, immigration officers, and relevant agencies received a report from locals regarding a large group of suspects of illegal immigrants hiding at an abandoned house in Mueang, Kanchanaburi.
Mueang Kanchanaburi police officers went to inspect the reported abandoned house and found a group of illegal immigrants with a total number of people of more than 123 individuals. Consequently, relevant officers brought large trucks to transport the illegal immigrants for further police interrogation at the Mueang Kanchanaburi police station.
Moreover, there were four vehicles including one van, two pickup trucks, and one sedan, parked at the abandoned house. It was reported that all the drivers probably had escaped before the police arrived at the scene. The police then seized the vehicles for further investigation to track the suspects down.
Upon police interrogation of the illegal immigrants, they reportedly confessed that they illegally crossed the Thai border through a natural channel in the Sangkhlaburi District before being picked up by an agent via cars to Wat Wang Wiwekaram pier. They further added that the agent took them via boats along the Vajiralongkorn Dam Reservoir at night to the Thong Pha Phum District and reached the abandoned house in Mueang District.
The police reported that the illegal immigrants paid the agent 15,000 to 30,000 each to seek jobs in south and central Thailand depending on the distance.
Initially, the immigration officers took hold of the illegal immigrants before processing further legal action and planning to deport them back to their home country.
Due to a recent mandatory conscription policy in Myanmar, which is embroiled in conflicts between the military junta and multiple groups, many Myanmar citizens are attempting to flee to Thailand through both legal and illegal means as we reported here.
