19 immigrant workers arrested for income but store owners are even criminals, state police
PUBLISHED: 7 Jun 2024 at 21: 02
During a officers raid on leisure facilities and shops on Khao San Road in Bangkok, 19 migrant workers were detained for selling laughing gas-filled balloons to visitors.
Police said that the workers were not the only ones who cheated up the bubbles, and that their bosses also used them to offer them to avoid legal actions against their stores.
On Thursday night, a combined team of officers from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division ( ATPD ) and the Consumer Protection Police Division ( CPPD ) conducted random raids of entertainment venues, eateries, and shops on the streets that were popular with young tourists.
The Sky999 restaurant, where laughing gas-filled kites were sold, was the main focus of the procedure.
During the activity, authorities arrested 19 migrant workers — 16 Myanmar citizens, two Cambodians and one Chinese — for violating Section 12 of the Drug Act regarding creation of medication without permission. Additionally, they were accused of committing immigration crimes, including illegal entry, working without grants, or performing other types of jobs than permitted.
The officers seized a bubble containing nitric oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or happy fuel, a placard advertising sales of laughing- gas balloons, 18 applied tubes of nitric oxide, 2, 730 fresh balloons and other items.
Laughing gasoline- filled kites were found at various retailers that had been raided in February, said Pol Col Surapong Chatsut, the ATPD assistant captain. Most of the profits were to younger people and visitors, he said.
After the previous raid, shop owners used immigrants ‘ workers to sell the balloons to travellers, a new strategy. The owners claimed that their businesses had no bearing on the revenue, according to Pol Col Surapong.
However, such behavior went against the law and the users must be held accountable, he added.
On Thursday night, police officers randomly raided entertainment venues, eateries, and shops in Khao San Road in an effort to stop sellers of laughing gas-filled balloons. ( Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham )