Six Chinese Nationals Arrested in Chiang Rai for Illegal Entry

Six Chinese nationals have been arrested in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai for allegedly entering the kingdom illegally in defiance of the travel ban imposed by Thailand’s government to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

The six were later identified as Liang Shougen; 28, Zhu Haiyan, 38; Yuan Dong, 35; Zhao Guoyou, 26; Liao Chi, 20; and; Cao Yong, 39. They were accused of illegally entering the kingdom via a natural channel from Myanmar.

Niwat Yodsaen, 34, a Thai national, was also apprehended for bringing the Chinese nationals into the country. Police also seized 11 mobile phones from the Chinese men.

The arrests were made on Tuesday after border authorities received a tip-off from informants about a human smuggling network. The Chinese were detained at a shopping mall in Mae Sai district, police said on Wednesday.

Chiang Rai Police said an investigation determined that two more Chinese Nationals managed to escape arrest and a hunt for them was under way. Chiang Rai Police said Mr Niwat had been hired by two women, known only as Ms Mod and Ms New, for 2,000 baht to pick them up from the mall in Mae Sai district. He was suppose to drive them to Tak’s Mae Sot district.

The Chinese suspects told police that they worked at a casino in Myanmar’s Tachileik district and they decided to flee Myanmar because of the Covid-19 situation there escalating.

Chinese Arrested with Bt 8 Million in Cash

Meanwhile, The Thaiger reports that on Monday three Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly entering the kingdom illegally through Mae Sot’s natural border from Myanmar. The Chinese men entered Illegally with Bt8 million in cash in their belongings.

Forces made up of police and army personnel under Capt Sasawat Sattayapong, commander of the Heavy Mortar Company of the Fourth Infantry Regiment, arrested the trio in Ban Mae Kumai Thasung in tambon Mae Ku of Mae Sot district. The forces confiscated the money and four mobile phones from Nac Ltyi, 36, Liu Giaurong, 29 and Ghen Lihua, 26, the Chinese nationals.

Authorities said their initial investigation found the suspects left Myanmar because they were afraid of the worsening pandemic situation there. Many locals in the border area have hired smugglers to get workers from Myanmar into the country due to Covid-19 restrictions. They were also told the Chinese nationals worked in casinos in Myanmar across the border from Thailand.