Two first-time brokers were arrested yesterday in the capital’s Meanchey district while attempting to bring 13 men illegally into Thailand to be workers, police said – the latest in a string of broker busts.

Keo Thea, director of the municipal human trafficking and juvenile protection bureau, said he had led his officials to arrest brokers E Dara, 41, and Luong Phally, 28, and freed the migrant workers while the group was preparing to leave.

“I accused them [brokers] with unlawful removal for cross-border transfer. They are being detained at my office and I will send them to the court for charging tomorrow,” Keo Thea said.

The workers will be sent to the Municipal Social Affairs Department in order to repatriate them to their homes in Prey Veng province, he added.

Separately, Sampov Loun district police officials in Battambang province arrested two brokers and rescued four men in a guesthouse on Tuesday before they attempted a border crossing to work in a Bangkok factory.

Pich Saren, Sampov Loun district police chief, said it was the first time brokers E Seang Meng, 16, and Pich Chan De, 23, had attempted to convey people illegally over the border.

“I sent the brokers and the workers to the provincial anti-human trafficking police station because those workers will be the witness,” said Pich Saren.

An alleged broker and five victims were rescued just last week in the same district, the Post reported previously. Police said Soun Hun, 30, had convinced 15 people to work in Thailand since he started working as a broker a year ago.

Separately, a husband-and-wife broker pair were charged in Kandal provincial court for “unlawful removal of cross-border transfer”. They were arrested a few days earlier while allegedly attempting to smuggle 10 people into Thailand.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mom Kunthear at [email protected]