Nong Khai immigration officers detained four Chinese men and a Thai driver yesterday, August 18, after the group allegedly crossed the Mekong River from Laos into Thailand without passports.
Nong Khai immigration, along with relevant officers, intercepted a car at an intersection in Nong Khai as it was heading towards Tha Bo district.
The car was driven by a 40 year old Thai man from Phrae province, with four Chinese men aged between 22 and 26 travelling as passengers.
Officers found seven backpacks in the boot, with mud stains visible on the outside. Inside were laptop computers, Internet signal transmitters and a large number of mobile phones.
The five men were taken to Nong Khai Immigration for questioning.
Speaking through an interpreter, the four Chinese men reportedly said they did not know who owned the equipment.
The Thai driver admitted that he had picked up the four men near the Mekong River in Phon Phisai district, Nong Khai. He said they had crossed the river from a neighbouring country in a small boat.
The driver said he was supposed to take the group to Phitsanulok, where another person would collect them and continue the journey to Myanmar. He was reportedly promised 6,000 baht for each person he transported.
Officers said they found no passports among the Chinese nationals.
Investigators had received information that eight Chinese nationals were expected to enter Thailand illegally. They suspect the group had fled a crackdown in Vientiane, Laos, and planned to travel through Thailand to Myanmar.
According to investigators, the group was carrying equipment that allowed them to maintain Internet connectivity while travelling. Police believe the journey may have been linked to the relocation of an online scam operation to Myanmar and said the case would proceed according to law.
Elsewhere, Thai rangers in Sa Kaeo arrested three Chinese men after they were found illegally crossing into Thailand from Cambodia through a natural path in Aranyaprathet district, intending to seek business opportunities in Bangkok.
The story Four Chinese men caught with alleged scam gear in Nong Khai as seen on Thaiger News.
