SA KAEO — Police, working with Army Rangers, have intercepted a suspected human-smuggling operation and detained 37 undocumented Cambodian migrant workers hidden in a cargo truck, officials said.
Late at night, officers from Khlong Luek police station stepped up border patrols to curb illegal crossings along the Thai-Cambodian frontier. At 11:40 p.m., police seized a white Isuzu cargo truck with Sa Kaeo registration plates parked suspiciously on Dong Ngu–Pa Rai Road in Moo 7, Pa Rai subdistrict, Aranyaprathet district.
A search of the vehicle found migrant workers concealed behind makeshift barriers of foam panels and plastic-wrapped materials arranged to shield them from view.
Authorities identified 37 Cambodian, 17 men and 20 women, along with five accompanying individuals. None had legal travel or immigration documents. All were taken into custody and charged with illegal entry and staying in the kingdom without permission.
The driver fled the scene before police arrived, abandoning the truck.
Col. Jaturaphat Singhasatit, deputy commander of Sa Kaeo provincial police, ordered an urgent manhunt for the driver and others involved, vowing strict legal action. He said security operations would be intensified through joint efforts involving provincial police, Khlong Luek officers and the 12th Army Ranger Regiment to reinforce border security.
