Pattani —
At 9:30 PM on November 9th, 2024, officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and related agencies arrested 15 illegal migrants from Bangladesh in the Muang district, Pattani, as they were attempting to leave for Malaysia.
Acting on a tip-off, the Thai authorities set up an operation to intercept a vehicle suspected of smuggling the migrants on a new road connecting Pattani to Narathiwat.
The vehicle, which attempted to flee upon spotting the police, was eventually stopped, and 16 individuals were found inside. Among them were 15 Bangladeshi nationals and one Thai driver, identified as Ismael Awa, 43.
Upon inspection, the migrants were found to have entered Thailand illegally without proper immigration stamps. Ismael reportedly admitted to smuggling the migrants from Hat Yai, Songkhla, to Waeng, Narathiwat, for a fee.
The 15 illegal migrants were arrested for entering and staying in the country without authorization, while Ismael faces charges of assisting illegal entry.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
