Prayut orders a smuggling blitz
Dedicated panel to examine state officials
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered police to set up a special committee to investigate state officials involved in the smuggling of illegal immigrants, who were blamed for the uprising Latest Covid-19.
Officials who enable illegal immigration will be charged without exceptions, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich said the Prime Minister was saying.
The direction was given at a meeting of the Defense Council chaired by Gen Prayut who is also a defense minister, the spokesman said.
Gen Prayut has also instructed all military units to set up surveillance and surveillance throughout the border to prevent illegal entry by land and sea to prevent the spread. the virus virus from nearby countries. Meanwhile the Prime Minister had ordered the arrest of traffickers of illegal immigrants.
Police and administrative officers have been instructed to establish checkpoints on routes thought to be used by illegal labor traffickers.
Gen Prayut ordered the establishment of a 1,000-bed field hospital to treat Covid-19 patients in Samut Sakhon, the center of the latest outbreak of the disease, Lt. Gen Kongcheep said.
The behavior in Samut Sakhon is based on migrant worker communities.
Lt Gen Kongcheep said the army and navy would supply and equip the 1,000-bed field hospital in Samut Sakhon. It remained to be decided whether it would be established at a factory, in a residential area or an army base.
The field hospital needs to be in a location where the majority of patients are, so that people with disease do not have to be transported to outlying areas, he said.
National police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk said yesterday that police now know about human traffickers.
Police were targeting traders while illegal immigrants were deterred, he said.
The government would treat infectious migrants for the good of their health and for the well-being of all Thai people, he said.
It was time for migrant workers to believe in government officials, said Pol Gen Suwat, adding that the prime minister has appointed Deputy Defense Minister Chaichan Changmongkol to address the issue of human trafficking .
When asked if any state officials were involved in the smuggling of migrant workers, Pol Gen Suwat said investigators were gathering evidence. Anyone found guilty will be prosecuted regardless of who they are, he said.
Labor Minister Suchart Chomklin also said there will be a lawsuit against any ministry officials involved in the smuggling.
Mr Suchart said before the prime minister spoke to the country about Covid-19’s situation in a televised broadcast on Tuesday, he consulted with the Labor Ministry on steps that should be taken to tackle illegal traders.
Damrong Pudtan, a well-known television guest and great-grandfather, revealed on Facebook that his friend who is a businessman in the fishing industry told him that some employers had paid labor smuggling organizations to bring in migrants for 10,000 baht each directly into Samut Sakhon through the nature of border corridors.
Sources said gang groups were importing migrants for 10,000-30,000 baht each directly to Samut Sakhon.
Speaking at Government House yesterday, Gen Prayut said the Covid-19 Center for Positioning Administration (CCSA) will today decide whether and how to celebrate the New Year.
The meeting will also come with a map using colors such as green, orange and red to show Covid-19 risk levels in areas affected by the disease, the prime minister said.
He raised concerns about unregistered migrant workers, and warned that tough action will be taken against illegal labor smuggling groups.
“Some employers are self-employed. They hired illegal immigrant workers and did not pay a salary set by law. I address the problem and focus on the those groups, “the Prime Minister said.
Gen Prayut said it is another concern that some factories that employ illegal immigrants have decided to bag the workers or ignore them to avoid legal penalties.