THE Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has decided to file charges against two former ministers and two senior Labour Ministry officials over human trafficking Thais who had gone to work in Finland as wild berry pickers and being linked to the wrongful collection of 3,000 baht from each of them to do so for a total of 36 million baht, Thai Rath newspaper said today (Jan 11).
DSI’s human trafficking division moved on this case after the Foreign Ministry and the Thai embassy in Helsinki had given assistance to some Thai berry pickers. They had legally travelled there to do this work but became victims of human trafficking on their attempted return to Thailand.
Finnish authorities also sent an important evidence showing there is conspiracy between politicians, government officials and some civilians who had ganged up to get money from these berry pickers by getting the middleman who liaise with the job recruitment company in Finland to charge them 3,000 baht each to go work there in addition to actual expense without any legal right to do so.
During 2020-2023 12,000 Thais paid this extra money to go work in Finland as berry pickers, or a total of 36 million baht.
Aside from filing charges against the two former ministers and two senior officials, DSI will also be submitting a special case report to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for further action.
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Top: Wild berries picked by Thai workers in Finland. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: Thai berry pickers at work in Kärsämäki, Finland, in September 2020. File photo: Paulus Markkula / Yle
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