BANGKOK: In a dramatic incident on Thursday (Feb 26) in Kanchanaburi, a town in western Thailand, more than 20 people were injured after a truck carrying 44 Myanmar migrants overturned while fleeing a police chase.
According to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and Highway Police Division, officers initially spotted a suspicious white Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck without a proper rear number plate and with a counterfeit front plate in Sai Yok district.
When the driver noticed the police, he sped off, driving recklessly and even driving against traffic.
The police pursued the vehicle for more than 50km until it lost control and overturned in Wang Dong sub-district. Emergency responders arrived to assist and discovered that the driver had fled the scene amid the chaos.
Inside the truck, police found 44 undocumented Myanmar migrants crammed into the vehicle. 21 people were injured and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Upon investigation, the authorities found that none of the migrants had valid passports or identification documents. The truck was seized as evidence.
The migrants confessed to crossing the border illegally from Yangon, Myanmar, through a natural crossing in Sangkhla Buri district.
They were heading to Malaysia and had each paid 130,000 baht (US$4,200) to human traffickers, planning to work off their debts.
All suspects have been detained and transferred to Lat Ya Police Station for further legal action. Preliminary investigations showed the migrants confessed to their illegal activities. - The Nation/ANN
