Three Thai suspects arrested for 'smuggling Chinese nationals from Malaysia through Thailand'
Three Thai suspects were arrested for allegedly smuggling Chinese nationals from Malaysia into Thailand.
The suspected traffickers, identified as 'Chen', 'Pawichaya' and 'Issara', were caught on October 20, following an investigation into an alleged human smuggling network operating in Songkhla province which borders Malaysia.
The probe began after a Chinese national, Li, 40, was arrested on September 3 for illegally entering and staying in Thailand.
Wider investigations found that an alleged network was helping Chinese nationals cross into Thailand illegally from Malaysia, with the three Thai suspects facilitating the unauthorised crossings.
Chen and Issara were arrested in the Sadao district in Songkhla, while Pawichaya was detained at the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok.
Police Colonel Charoenphong Khantilo, spokesman for Immigration Division 6, said all three face charges of conspiring to smuggle foreign nationals into Thailand.
He added: 'They have been handed over to Immigration Division 6 investigators for legal proceedings. The arrests followed a directive from Royal Thai Police deputy chief Police General Samran Nuanma to step up efforts against transnational crime.'
Thai police are cracking down on migrant smuggling in Thailand, where suspected human smugglers were allegedly trafficking Chinese nationals into Malaysia to work at scam call centres.
