THAI authorities arrested 40 Myanmar nationals who were trying to enter Malaysia illegally via Sadao, Songkhla, near the Thai-Malaysia border.

In the 1am (local time) incident, Thai authorities arrested the Myanmar nationals, comprising 31 men and nine women, who were hiding in a rubber plantation in Samnak Kham near the Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam border.

Sadao District Police Chief, Col. Bantern Laochareng, said the group of Myanmar nationals were believed to have been brought by middlemen from Myanmar to Thailand by boat via Ranong on March 31.

“They were taken to the Thailand-Malaysia border while waiting to be smuggled into Penang, Malaysia last night.

“Preliminary investigation found that they had to pay RM7,540 per person to enter Malaysia where the payment of RM3,764 was made before the trip and RM3,764 after arriving and starting work in Malaysia,” he said in a press conference today.

He said Thai police are tracking down four more individuals, a Thai national and three Myanmar nationals, who were believed to have escaped in the raid. – Bernama, April 6, 2022.