Thai police rescue 1,000 human trafficking victims this year

Thai police have rescued more than 1,000 victims of human trafficking from Myanmar, including Rohingya refugees, who were mostly to be smuggled into Malaysia, in the first six months of this year.

Director of Child Protection, Family and Human Trafficking Centre, General Suchart Theerasawat, said the authorities had also arrested 151 suspects involved in human trafficking during the same period.

”Human trafficking activity had been on the rise this year compared to the same period last year. Thai police will definitely intensify efforts to fight the syndicates involved in this activity,” he said.

Yesterday, a group of victims from Myanmar, including seven women were rescued by the police during an operation in a rubber estate in Kampung Thungsan in Chanong, Songkhla.

A police spokesman said initial investigations found that all the victims aged 14 to 50 would be divided into six groups before being smuggled into Malaysia in stages.

“The victims will be smuggled into Malaysia through several ratlines through the Thailand-Malaysia border,” he said.

On July 9, Thai police had also arrested seven Myanmar nationals in Muangkong, Hatyai, for trying to enter Malaysia illegally. - Bernama