A Thai soldier sits in front of the blockage of a road leading to the Thailand-Myanmar border in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand, Dec. 19, 2021. Photo by Reuters
Thai authorities detained 32 Indonesian nationals early Sunday morning as they attempted to cross the Myanmar-Thailand border illegally into Tak Province.
The group was reportedly fleeing heightened crackdowns on illegal businesses in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region.
The group, consisting of 30 men and two women, was intercepted at 0:30 a.m. near Ban Wang Takian Tai Village in Mae Sot District, according to Khaosod.
The arrests were made during a joint patrol operation involving the Ratchamanu Task Force, Mae Sot Police, Immigration Bureau, and local administrative officials.
During questioning, the detainees revealed that they had been working in Myawaddy but decided to leave their jobs and attempt to return to Indonesia via Thailand, as reported by the Bangkok Post. None of the individuals had valid border-crossing documents.
Border security along the Thai-Myanmar border has been tightened amid growing concerns over employment scams. Many victims are lured to Myanmar with false promises of jobs, only to be exploited, including being forced to work for illegal call center operations.
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