Tricked Thai workers repatriated from Cambodia as online gambling operations relocate elsewhere – Khmer Times

The Thai government repatriated 60 Thai workers who were duped into working illegally in Cambodia on Monday.

The matter caught the publics attention as several sources reported that many Thais were deceived into working illegally in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. A ransom was also reportedly demanded from their relatives in exchange of their freedom.

Their request for help eventually found the ears of the government via social media, prompting an instruction made by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, for the Royal Thai Police (RTP) to investigate the network and provide help for the victims.

With cooperation from agencies the including Child Woman Protection and Anti-Human Trafficking centres, police managed to gather enough evidence to ask the court to issue arrest warrants for the network members, comprising four Chinese, four Cambodians and two Thais.

Earlier on Oct 21, investigators apprehended two Thai female suspects, identified as Ubonrat Puttipraisakun, 22, and Tianfeng Sae-li, 28, near the Thai-Cambodian border and they were taken to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) for legal proceedings. The duo were wanted on the warrants issued by the Criminal Court on Oct 19.

Assistant national police chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn yesterday said that the victims were forced to work illegally. If they had refused, they would be assaulted and sold as slave labourers. The victims were also held so a ransom could be paid by their relatives in Thailand.

After the arrest of the wrongdoers, the RTP on Saturday coordinated with related agencies in Cambodia to provide help for the Thai victims.

All 60 victims arrived in Thailand Monday and Pol Lt Gen Surachate welcomed them himself.

In October, 41 Indonesian nationals, including three females were rescued from the China Project after intervention from the Indonesian Embassy in Cambodia and Sihanoukville security forces.Other operators have reportedly relocated to Koh Kong and other provinces while some have reportedly moved out of Cambodia all together due to rising costs of carrying out their activities here as well as better margins elsewhere, including Liberia, Philippines and Indonesia.

Separately, the armys Burapha Task Force has arrested 29 Cambodian migrants for illegal entry, along with two Thai smugglers near the border in Sa Kaeo.

The Burapha Task Force and Khok Sung police firstly arrested seven Cambodian migrants five men and two women and their two Thai smugglers around Ban Nong Wa village in tambon Nong Muang of Khok Sung district at 3.30am. An interrogation showed that they were seeking jobs in Bangkok and Chon Buri.

At 10.30am, the Burapha Task Force, Klong Hat Task Force and community leaders jointly caught 22 Cambodian migrants 19 men, 2 women and a girl during a search of tambon Tub Prik of Aranyaprathet district.

All confessed they were going in search of jobs in Chon Buri, Chachoengsao and Sa Kaeo. All were later taken to provincial police for legal action. Bangkokpost

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Tricked Thai workers repatriated from Cambodia as online gambling operations relocate elsewhere - Khmer Times