A total of 110 Myanmar nationals were detained by Thai security forces for illegally entering the country in three groups in this western border province on Saturday, police said.
The last group of 38 — 21 men and 16 women — were rounded up at about 3pm by a government patrol from a sugarcane plantation near Ban Mai Huay Nam Khao, or Moo 15 village, in tambon Ban Kao of Muang district.
They were from Bago, Mawlumyine and Mandalay townships in Myanmar, destined for Chon Buri, Samut Sakhon and Bangkok in Thailand for jobs. They were to pay 15,000 baht each to job brokers on arrival at the worksites.
Earlier on Saturday, the first group of 18 were arrested at about 4.30am in Moo 14 village in tambon Ban Kao, Muang district, and the second group of 54 were caught at about 6am in Moo 4 village in tambon Nong Lu, Sangkhla Buri district.
Those detained were charged with illegal entry and violating the emergency decree in the Covid-19 situation. They were handed over to police for legal proceedings, pending repatriation.
Some of those arrested said there was still a large group of job seekers on the other side of the border opposite Kanchanaburi, waiting to sneak across the border.
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Myanmar illegal migrants are arrested by security authorities in Muang district of Kanchanaburi province on Saturday. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)
