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Roundup: Arrest warrants issued for four more Thai military officers over migrant trafficking

Xinhua, September 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Arrest warrants have been issued at the weekend for another four Thai military officers suspected to have been involved in the trafficking of Rohingya migrants earlier this year.

Deputy National Police chief Pol Gen Eck Ungsunanand said on Monday the four servicemen - three army officers and one navy officer - were all attached to varied military units in southern Thailand.

The suspected military officers who have remained at large were identified as Col. Natasit Maksuwan, attached to a unit of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) in Satul province, Capt. Visut Bunnag and Capt. Santad Petnoi, both attached to an ISOC unit in Chumporn province, as well as Cdr. Kampanart Sangtongchin, attached to a naval base in Pang-nga province.

The latest crackdown on the suspected human trafficking followed the arrest of Lt. Gen. Manat Khongpan, previously attached to the southern-based 42nd Army Circle, for similar charges earlier this year.

A total of 89 suspected human traffickers, mostly civilians, have been arrested during the past few months while another 61 others remain at large, according to Pol Gen Eck.

Of the fugitive suspects, about 20 are believed to have already fled the country, the deputy police chief said.

Arrest warrants will be issued for more suspects including other military officers if found to have been implicated in the trafficking of the Muslim boat people who had fled sectarian violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state earlier this year.

The military officers had been accused of taking bribes in exchange for passage for the illegal migrants to sail from the Andaman Sea to Thai southern shores.

The migrants had been allegedly provided poor shelter by the traffickers, waiting to be illegally transported across the Thai- Malaysian border into Malaysia, where they may have been hired for lowly-paid jobs, such as laborers in rubber or palm plantations.

An estimated 250 Rohingyas had been arrested in the southern region of the country on illegal entry charges and returned to their home country.

Those included some 60 migrants who had been lost and rescued from dense jungles on the Thai-Malaysian border.

Besides, remains of 36 deceased Rohingyas had been recovered at a makeshift graveyard in Thailand's Padang Besar area bordering Malaysia's Perlis state. Endi