BANGKOK: Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaiyapan, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Navy, said on Wednesday (Dec 31) that naval forces under the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command (CTBDC) arrested six Chinese nationals in a border area of Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province, on Tuesday (December 30) as they allegedly attempted to leave Thailand illegally for Cambodia.
He said the case underlined the continued presence of cross-border smuggling networks linked to transnational crime and cyber scam operations, which exploit the New Year period, when travel is heavy, and conditions can make checks harder to enforce.
The navy said the detainees were handled strictly in line with the law, including Thailand’s Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act 2022, with officials instructed to respect human dignity, protect basic rights and provide humanitarian care, while ensuring transparent and fair legal proceedings.
The Royal Thai Navy, through the CTBDC, which is responsible for security along Thailand’s eastern border, said it would continue integrating operations with other security agencies and step up surveillance and enforcement to prevent illegal cross-border movement and ensure Thailand is not used as a transit route or support base for transnational criminal networks. - The Nation/ANN
