Police have arrested a suspect in Tak province over the alleged abduction of three Chinese men who travelled to Thailand for promised jobs but were later found bound and blindfolded in a pickup truck near the Myanmar border.
The arrest took place yesterday, October 11, after investigators traced a man suspected of helping transport the Chinese jobseekers towards the border. Police believe the men were deceived with employment offers before being restrained and taken towards a network operating along the Thai-Myanmar border.
Officers from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), working with Phop Phra Police Station, arrested a Thai man identified as Suriya outside a house in Khiri Rat subdistrict, Phop Phra district, Tak.
The 30 year old suspect was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Mae Sot Provincial Court on October 1. He faces charges of jointly unlawfully detaining others and operating an unlicensed non-scheduled passenger transport service.
The case dates back to September 7, when police arrested a 29 year old man identified as Tham, who was driving a Toyota Hilux Revo pickup truck. Officers also rescued three Chinese nationals, aged 27, 30 and 31, who were found inside the vehicle with their hands tied and eyes covered.
According to the victims’ statements, they had been searching online for employment in Thailand when they came across someone claiming to arrange jobs in Chiang Mai and Sukhothai provinces.
Believing the offers were genuine, the three men flew to Thailand in early September, expecting to travel to their promised workplaces.
The Central Investigation Bureau revealed that the men arrived in Thailand between September 5 and 6 and began travelling to their supposed workplaces on September 6.
The alleged job organiser arranged transport for the three men, who initially travelled in separate vehicles. However, after reaching Tak province, they were collected by another vehicle and taken together into an unidentified forested area.
The men told investigators that brown adhesive tape was wrapped around their heads and faces, while their hands were bound with tape and secured with handcuffs.
They were then transported towards the Thai-Myanmar border, where police intercepted the pickup truck and rescued them before they reached their suspected destination.
Investigators believe the employment offers may have been part of a scheme to lure Chinese nationals into Thailand before transferring them to another network operating near the Myanmar border.
When questioned about the transport operation, Tham reportedly told police that he had received the assignment from two individuals known as Joi and Ya.
Tham claimed that Ya had been driving another vehicle ahead of the pickup truck during the journey. Investigators subsequently identified Ya as Suriya and gathered evidence to obtain an arrest warrant from the Mae Sot Provincial Court.
According to DailyNews, Suriya denied all allegations during questioning. He was subsequently transferred to investigators at Phop Phra Police Station for further legal proceedings.
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- 2 Thai men arrested for assaulting and abducting Chinese woman
- Thai police rescue 5 Chinese nationals trafficked for call centre scam
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