Thai police on May 4 arrested three local officials and one Myanmar national who were allegedly involved in the trafficking and kidnapping of Rohingya people for ransom.
Thai national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, revealed that the suspects include three government officials at communal level on suspicion of participating in the cross-border human trafficking network which also involved those from Myanmar and Malaysia for three to four years.
Earlier on May 1, the police found 26 bodies which were buried at an abandoned camp in southern Thailand.
The only survivor, a Bangladeshi, said the human traffickers escaped the week before bringing along around 100 Rohingyas.
Somyot said the police are verifying information saying that more camps of the slavers are based deep in the southern mountains and forests.
The police are investigating Khao Kaew mountain of Songkla province, bordering Malaysia, and plan to expand the scale of searching to other thick forests.
Tens of thousands of refugees, mainly belonging to the Rohingya ethnic community in Myanmar and Bangladesh, arrived in southern Thailand via sea routes.
The Thai Government announced it is taking important steps to deal with human trafficking, including strictly prosecuting dozens of officials allegedly involved in the field last January.-VNA
Thai national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, revealed that the suspects include three government officials at communal level on suspicion of participating in the cross-border human trafficking network which also involved those from Myanmar and Malaysia for three to four years.
Earlier on May 1, the police found 26 bodies which were buried at an abandoned camp in southern Thailand.
The only survivor, a Bangladeshi, said the human traffickers escaped the week before bringing along around 100 Rohingyas.
Somyot said the police are verifying information saying that more camps of the slavers are based deep in the southern mountains and forests.
The police are investigating Khao Kaew mountain of Songkla province, bordering Malaysia, and plan to expand the scale of searching to other thick forests.
Tens of thousands of refugees, mainly belonging to the Rohingya ethnic community in Myanmar and Bangladesh, arrived in southern Thailand via sea routes.
The Thai Government announced it is taking important steps to deal with human trafficking, including strictly prosecuting dozens of officials allegedly involved in the field last January.-VNA
