NARATHIWAT: Thai authorities detained 27 ethnic Rohingyas
in the Salamai sub-district of Tak Bai early today for allegedly trying to
enter Malaysia.
Narathiwat Regional Immigration chief Col Noppadol
Rakchart said those detained, comprising 22 men, three women and two children,
were arrested in a lorry at 1.30am (local time).
"The lorry driver, identified as Somrak, disclosed
that he drove the Rohingyas from Ban Mod, Thung Krut in Bangkok to Narathiwat,
before handing them over to a syndicate which will smuggle them to
Malaysia," he told reporters here today.
Noppadol said the driver had done the same with two
groups of Rohingyas to Narathiwat before this and was paid Baht 30,000
(RM3,800) for each trip.
Meanwhile, one of the ethnic Rohingyas, via an
interpreter, said they entered Thailand via the Mae Sot border after paying
Baht 15,000 (RM1,900) to the syndicate. -- BERNAMA