THAI police said 39 out of the 61 Myanmar nationals arrested in Hat Yai last Friday are victims of human trafficking.

Of the 39 people, one is a 6-year-old child.

Assistant national police chief Surachate Hakparn said the Myanmar nationals were detained at a resort in Hat Yai, Songkhla, on March 25.

“Investigations found that 39 of them are victims of human trafficking, including 26 Rohingya aged between 6 and 17 years old.

“Twenty-two of the 61 individuals are illegal immigrants. All of them entered Thailand and were on their way to Malaysia,” he told reporters at the Sadao border police headquarters.

He said all those detained will be deported upon completion of the investigation and documentation process.

“Illegal immigrants will be prosecuted and deported, and further investigation will be conducted on victims of human trafficking to track down the mastermind.”

He said an initial investigation found that about 400 Myanmar nationals have been brought into Thailand before being sent to Malaysia. – Bernama, March 30, 2022.