TRAT — Police in Trat province have arrested nine Chinese nationals who allegedly fled a scam compound KK Park in Myanmar and were preparing to cross into Cambodia by boat, authorities said Monday.
Pol. Lt. Col. Phichit Phuensan, chief of Mai Root Police Station, ordered a patrol to investigate reports of suspicious foreigners staying at a beachfront resort in Ban Chuen Beach, Khlong Yai district, around 8 a.m. Monday.
Officers found nine Chinese men inside a two-bedroom resort unit without any identification or passports. They also seized 48 mobile phones, which police said contained gambling and money-laundering apps as well as deleted data believed to be linked to online scams.
The group was taken to Mai Root Police Station for questioning. Because none spoke English, police sought help from interpreters with the Trat Provincial Police Investigation Division and the Immigration Bureau.
One man, identified as Xiao Chen, 26, from Yunnan province, reportedly told investigators he had been “sent here” but did not know his location or who was coming to pick him up.
Authorities believe the group escaped from KK Park, a notorious cybercrime hub in Myawaddy, Myanmar, and entered Thailand illegally with help from local facilitators. Trat province shares a border with Cambodia, and police said the men likely planned to cross into Cambodia when arrested.
Police said the investigation began after the resort caretaker, identified only as Somjai, reported a booking made by a group of Thai nationals who arrived earlier in a black Toyota Fortuner and a van with Bangkok license plates. The Thais had reserved multiple rooms, claiming other guests would arrive later in the day.
Somjai told reporters she initially refused to host foreign guests, but heavy rain obscured her view when the Chinese group arrived. The Thai men who made the booking left no ID cards, only advance payment for rooms and meals.
The nine men remain in custody pending further investigation and possible immigration charges.
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