53 Myanmar migrants found hiding in a vegetable truck

A TEAM of soldiers and policemen were stunned to discover there were 53 Myanmar migrant workers hiding in a vegetable truck heading from Mae Sot border point to Bangkok, Amarin TV said today (Aug. 4).

Acting on a tip-off that this six-wheel truck will be carrying illegal migrants further inland, soldiers from Rachamanu Task Force together with a Mae Sot police team and immigration officers waited to apprehend them at Huai Hin Fon security checkpoint on Mae Sot-Mueang Tak road.

Upon being stopped and searched at 10.30 p.m. the military-police team was stunned to see 53 illegal imgrants get off the truck loaded with bags of lettuce.

They were all heading for jobs in Bangkok with 30 of them having a border pass issued at Myanmar’s Myawaddy province, opposite Mae Sot, but the others had no documents at all.

However all are guilty of illegal immigration with those with border pass having attempted to move out of the permitted zone and have been taken by immigration police for further legal action.

They had hired a broker to arrange a trip to Bangkok who had in turn hired the driver Mr. Sakarin (surname withheld), 37, to drive this truck to the capital. He claimed he did not know there were migrant workers hiding in the large vehicle and was being paid 10,000 baht for the trip.

CAPTION:

Some of the 53 Myanmar migrant workers found hiding in a vegetable truck heading for Bangkok. All photos: Amarin TV