KANCHANABURI: Smuggling of illegal migrants is rampant along the border in Sangkhla Buri area with young bikers being well paid to make many trips a day.
On Monday night time, a team associated with border patrol plus local police and soldiers from the Lat Ya task force arrested seven individuals, three smugglers and four boder crossers, and seized three motorcycles with Songkhalia junction within tambon Nong Lu of Sangkhla Buri district.
The smugglers, a lady and two men, and the illegal migrant workers were taken to Sangkhla Buri police train station.
Occupants of Phra Chedi Sam Ong community, also known as Three Pagodas Pass village, in tambon Nong Lu say this really is far from unusual. These people complain that smugglers are using a small military of motorcyclists to create illegal border crossers to their village simply by day and night. They show no fear of being caught, with 10-12 motorcyclists regularly involved, residents say.
The motorcyclists make several trips a day in the border to the town, carrying 1-2 illegal passengers per trip.
Each motorcyclist had been paid 2, 000 baht per migrant. This generated huge incomes for those hired to do the job, mostly teenagers from Songkhalia village in Sangkhla Buri district but also young motorcyclists through Bor Yeephun plus Rai Oy towns in Myanmar, one border source stated.
Unlawful migrants mostly travelled from Payatongsu town in Myanmar. They took shelter with Bor Yeephun plus Rai Oy towns before crossing the particular border into Sangkhla Buri district by walking or by motorbike via natural boundary crossings at the 3 Pagodas Pass town, which has many organic crossings.
Motorcyclists take them in order to forested areas close to the village, where they will wait for vehicles to take them to their locations and jobs consist of provinces.
The soldier in a safety clothing checks the particular temperatures of unlawful migrants from Myanmar and their Thai smugglers in Sangkhla Buri district upon Monday. (Photo supplied: Piyarat Chongcharoen)