SONGKHLA, Aug 3 — A Malaysian believed to be one of the leaders of a transnational human trafficking syndicate has been arrested in southern Thailand after allegedly offering “coffee money” to Immigration officers to secure the release of three Chinese nationals without valid travel documents.
The 31-year-old man, identified only as Mohammad, was detained at the Songkhla Immigration Office alongside a Vietnamese woman, Nguyen Thi Thanh, 38, Utusan Malaysia reported.
Police said the pair arrived while officers were processing the arrests of the three Chinese nationals and two Thai men detained earlier during an operation on Asian Highway 2 in Tha Chang, Bang Klam district.
Immigration Division 6 spokesman Police Colonel Charoenpong Khantiloh said officers from the Songkhla Provincial Centre for the Suppression of Illegal Immigration intercepted a suspicious vehicle at about 2.30pm after receiving intelligence.
Three Chinese nationals without valid travel documents were found inside.
“The Thai driver and his companion, aged 39 and 46 respectively, were subsequently arrested.
“Both admitted that they had been hired by a broker to pick up the three Chinese nationals and take them to a hotel in Sadao district for a payment of RM3,666,” Charoenpong said.
Preliminary investigations found that the three Chinese nationals, who were believed to be linked to a scam syndicate, had entered Thailand from Cambodia through Sa Kaeo province and planned to cross illegally into Malaysia.
The five detainees were taken to the Songkhla Immigration Office for further investigation and the recording of charges.
“However, while police officers were preparing the arrest reports, Mohammad and Nguyen Thi arrived under suspicious circumstances. They attempted to negotiate by offering bribes, or ‘coffee money’, to the police officers in exchange for the release of the three Chinese nationals.
“The incident was reported to Songkhla Provincial Immigration Police chief Lieutenant Colonel Pongsiri Pitak. Police then pretended to stall for time before instructing investigators to examine communication records on the suspects’ phones,” Charoenpong said.
Police said evidence recovered from the phones led investigators to believe that the Malaysian was one of the leaders of a transnational human trafficking syndicate.
He was suspected of directing its operations, selecting pickup and drop-off locations and facilitating the illegal entry of Chinese nationals into Malaysia.
The Malaysian and Vietnamese suspects, along with the two Thai men, are expected to be jointly charged with sheltering, concealing or assisting foreigners who entered Thailand illegally.
“The three Chinese nationals will be charged with entering and staying in Thailand without permission,” Charoenpong said.
