Over 50 police officers from the Banglamung and Pattaya stations joined together in a concerted effort to dismantle a gang involved in begging and illegal gambling activities. The operation took place on the morning of May 27.
The authorities initially focused their attention on a house located in Sukhumvit Soi 7, in Nongprue Subdistrict. As they approached, they discovered two metal-roofed houses that were fenced off. Upon entering the first house, they encountered a Cambodian woman who matched the description of the wanted person. The police officers promptly presented her with an arrest warrant and provided a photograph to confirm her identity. Inside the first house, they also found five children, ranging in age from approximately 1 to 8 years old.
Moving to the second house, they encountered a Cambodian man and woman and two children. No personal identification documents were found during the search so the authorities took all individuals into custody and transported them to the Banglamung Police Station.
At a second location, a townhome called Pornpimol, situated in Soi Naklua 14, the authorities made another significant discovery. They found a group of Cambodian adults, along with 11 children aged from newborn to 8 years old, residing together. Among their findings were items typically associated with begging, such as cups and coins. No personal identification documents were found at this location either.
After presenting arrest warrants, the police officers took two men and three women into custody. One of the individuals identified himself only as Mr. Oh, aged 27, claimed to work at a hotel that did not require any documentation.
He also admitted that some individuals from the begging group engaged in card games for entertainment purposes using the money they got from begging.
Initial investigations revealed that these begging groups unlawfully entered the city using various means and strategically positioned children in areas with high tourist traffic to solicit money or elicit sympathy from both locals and tourists. Their daily earnings ranged from 300 to 1,000 baht.
To address the situation, the officers joined forces with the Social Development and Human Security Office of Chonburi Province and the Provincial Children’s Shelter to conduct individual screenings, record personal histories, and investigate connections and relationships among the adults who claimed to be parents of the children. In cases where legitimate relationships could not be established, the authorities planned to pursue human trafficking charges. Further investigations will be carried out to gather evidence for additional charges.
