Pattaya, Thailand – In a joint effort, Pattaya police and other law enforcement agencies apprehended a couple who were exploiting a disabled child for begging and selling goods in entertainment areas.
The operation took place at a residence in Soi Nongketyai, east Pattaya. Prior to the operation, extensive investigations were carried out on groups that used children for begging and selling items like souvenirs and sweets in the Pattaya region.
The investigation revealed that the one group consisting of an unidentified 20-year-old male and an unidentified 18-year-old female, would roam the streets at night holding an eighteen months old child who suffered from a cleft palate condition. The male suspect would carry the child while selling goods to tourists, exploiting its conditions for sympathy and sales.
On June 8, an arrest warrant was obtained, and on July 7, a search warrant was executed at the suspects’ residence. The male suspect confessed that the child was his own. The investigation is ongoing with plans for legal action against the suspects.
