BANGKOK, May 31 – Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) arrested a Myanmar human trafficker in the western province of Kanchanaburi, while in a separate case, three brothels were pulled down in the central province of Saraburi.
DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith and Myanmar Embassy Counselor Naing Htoon told a news conference that over 20 illegal Burmese workers were lured to work in Kanchanaburi by a Myanmar woman whom that country’s authorities had been asking the Thai authorities to help apprehend.
The suspect admitted to DSI that she had done the activity for more than one year but said she was unaware that her bringing the workers to Thailand was illegal. She said she did the crime with her daughter, who had previously been arrested by Myanmar police.
The deceived workers were taken to work at a corn canning factory in Kanchanaburi’s Tha Maka district. They had to pay the mother and daughter at Bt10,000-15,000/person, while they were beaten and confined while working. According to DSI, they were hired at Bt100/two weeks and taken Bt20 off the top; therefore earning only Bt80.
Mr Htoon admitted that human trafficking is a major problem in the country and that there are many groups of Myanmar human traffickers, mostly to lure workers to work in fishing industry.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s DSI director-general Tharit said that three brothels operating under the cover of karaoke bars were demolished last night in Saraburi’s Kaeng Khoi district.
There were 36 female victims arrested, most of whom were 17-28 years old and from Laos.
DSI plans to send them back to their home countries.
According to the investigation, the victims were hired at Bt750/session after being forced into prostitution, and a commission would be taken off the top by the karaoke bars.
