LAMPANG – Highway police officers recently stopped a white Nissan Almera carrying five undocumented Chinese nationals. The vehicle was safely intercepted at a police checkpoint on Highway 1 in Ko Kha district. Authorities suspect the group is strongly connected to a larger illegal scammer network operating regionally. The recent incident occurred on the evening of August 10 during a routine highway patrol.
The successful operation was led by Pol. Lt. Col. Kiattipon Sawatdithep from the Highway Police Division. His dedicated team worked closely with the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division to secure the area. They noticed the white car, registered in Chiang Rai, acting suspiciously near kilometer 678. Officers quickly signaled the driver to stop for a standard but thorough vehicle inspection.
Key Takeaways
- Police arrested a Thai driver and five undocumented Chinese men in Lampang province.
- The Chinese nationals claimed they were promised 100,000 THB a month for app development work.
- Authorities suspect the group is linked to a growing network of online scammers.
Inside the vehicle, officers found a 45-year-old Thai driver who was identified as Thawatchai. He was transporting five Chinese men who could not provide any identification or travel documents. The passengers were identified as Qin Hao, Liang Hui, Lei Luo Yang, Chen Song, and Lei Tao. They were all sitting tightly packed inside the small passenger car during the long journey.
During police questioning, the Thai driver confessed to his exact role in the smuggling operation. He stated that a man known only as “Mr. J” hired him for the illegal job. Thawatchai was promised a payment of 20,000 THB to drive the men safely down to Tak. He also revealed that another car was driving ahead to scout for any police checkpoints.
Lucrative Offers for Tech Jobs
Through a professional translator, the Chinese men shared their specific reasons for entering Thailand illegally. They explained that a Chinese broker contacted them directly about lucrative tech jobs abroad. The broker promised them steady work in computer programming and mobile application development. In return, they were offered a monthly salary of 20,000 Yuan, which equals about 100,000 THB.
Due to the nature of the promised work, police highly suspect a link to scammer syndicates. These criminal groups often lure skilled tech workers across borders for illegal online operations.
Authorities have taken all six men into official custody for further legal action and questioning. Thawatchai faces serious charges for hiding and helping illegal aliens escape from police arrest. Meanwhile, the five Chinese nationals were formally charged with entering and staying in the country illegally.
Police also seized the white Nissan Almera and 10 mobile phones as crucial criminal evidence. Investigators are now working hard to track down the mastermind, who is known as “Mr. J”. They aim to completely dismantle the entire network behind this organized human smuggling operation.
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