Two suspects were arrested for allegedly smuggling 14 Cambodian migrant workers across Cambodia-Thai border in Malai district. FN
The Banteay Meanchey provincial police have sent three suspects to court for allegedly smuggling 14 Cambodian migrant workers across Cambodia-Thai border in Malai district.
Provincial police chief Sith Los told The Post that this operation was carried out jointly by forces of the Border Police Battalion Unit 815 along with officers from the Ministry of Interior’s Internal Security Department, Malai district police and Military Police.
He said police sent the trio to court on charges of illegal human trafficking.
“They smuggle people across the border via a banned corridor. They’ve repeatedly violated this ban so we have to enforce the law,” he said.
Los said police will continue to tighten border security and crack down on human traffickers and illegal border crossers.
One of the suspects – Chak Vy, a 41-year-old resident of Sangke village in Malai district’s Boeung Beng commune, is considered the ringleader.
The other suspects were identified as Yat Bunny, a 38-year-old resident of Chamna Leu commune in Kampong Thom province’s Stoung district, and Om Chanra, the 63-year-old owner of a guesthouse in Malai commune’s Doung village.
Malai district police chief Ben Sam Ath told a local newspaper that Vy and Bunny had led the 14 migrant workers to the guesthouse in preparation for illegal border crossing on the night of March 15.
Chanra, the guesthouse owner, was also charged for not cooperating with the police and for providing his guesthouse for use by the brokers.
Sum Chankea, provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said police had increased their enforcement measures against brokers for fears of losing their jobs after Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered all border forces to put a stop to illegal crossings.
He said that recently two border officials had lost their posts because their efforts were deemed insufficient.
Chankea noted that illegal border crossings had also been made possible by corrupt officials.
“There are fewer people crossing the border illegally … The decrease is due to Covid-19 and Thailand tightening enforcement on their side,” he said.
From February 13-23, Cambodian border authorities had arrested 85 brokers for smuggling migrant workers across the border. Among the detainees, 10 were arrested on the Vietnam border, according to a report from the National Police.
