About 150 military, police, Banglamung District, and immigration authorities raided a Soi Wat Bunkanchanaram construction camp, capturing more than 100 illegal aliens.
Five groups of officials swooped in on the 20-rai Worakij Co. camp March 18 from separate directions and attempted to contain everyone as the 1,000 workers, mostly Burmese and Cambodians, tried to flee.
Authorities rounded up everyone they could into a field and checked passports, visas and work permits, discovering more than 100 men and women in the kingdom working illegally. They were taken to an immigration detention center to be prepared for deportation.
Police said the camp had been the site of numerous arguments and bouts of violence, with opposing nationalities fighting at least three times a week. The violence frightened nearby residents, they said.
Chonburi police had made several arrests in the camp, but needed a large-scale operation to clear out illegals and bring down tensions, authorities said.
