Illegal Workers

POLICE in Oddar Meanchey province arrested and briefly held a man accused of trying to smuggle 26 migrant workers through the O’Smach international border gate into Thailand, officials said yesterday.

Nuon Eth, the police chief in Samrong district, said 20 male and six female would-be migrant workers from Banteay Meanchey province’s Preah Net Preah district had travelled to Oddar Meanchey by taxi. They were stopped on Saturday evening at the border gate and ordered to return to their homes.

“They intended to work in Thailand for a long time,” Nuon Eth said. “We have now educated them and allowed them to go back home.”

Nuon Eth said police arrested an alleged organiser, An Cheth, who was going to charge them 150,000 riels (US$36) each for the trip, though he had yet to be paid.

The police chief said that police had planned to take An Cheth to trial, but were told a court would not consider him a broker because he hadn’t collected any money. He was subsequently released from custody.