Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
National

Trafficked Rohingya among illegal migrants caught in Songkhla

Some of the 61 illegal migrants from Myanmar who were caught at a resort in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, on March 25 while en route to Malaysia. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawong)

SONGKHLA: There were young Rohingya "victims of human trafficking" among 61 illegal migrants from Myanmar caught in Hat Yai district while en route to Malaysia, assistant police chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn said.

Pol Lt Gen Surachate was speaking after arriving in Songkhla on Tuesday afternoon to follow up on the arrest of 61 illegal migrants on March 25 at a resort in tambon Thung Lung, Hat Yai district.

He said 39 were victims of human trafficking. They included 26 Rohingya aged 6-17 years. The 22 others were ordinary illegal migrants.

Pol Lt Gen Surachate said the ordinary illegal immigrants would be charged with illegal entry and later deported.

The human trafficking victims would undergo further questioning, to find the traffickers, state officials who might be involved and the people who guided them from Myanmar through Thailand to their intended destinations.

He said police already had information on some traffickers in Kanchanaburi who had brought 300-400 migrants into the country and kept them in waiting areas.

"The prime minister has instructed that measures be stepped up to prevent smuggling of humans across the border and drastic action taken against state officials found to be involved," he said.

Pol Lt Gen Surachate said preventive measures must be taken, from the source of the smuggling to the destinations.

Smugglers and their agents were found to have raised their fees recently, as it was becoming more difficult, he said. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.