TAK: Thai authorities have returned 73 Myanmar nationals who fell prey to human trafficking gangs back to their homes and vowed further crackdowns on migrant labour exploitation.
The victims, who were rescued during an anti-trafficking drive earlier this year, were accompanied by Thai officials as they crossed the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, which connects Tak's Mae Sot district and Myanmar's Myawaddy.
Senior officials from the two countries were led by acting Thai Immigration Bureau chief Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn and the director-general of Myanmar's relief and resettlement department Win Naing Tun.
According to Pol Maj Gen Surachate, the 73 Myanmar nationals were believed to have been lured by the gangs to become labourers in southern Thailand.
Investigators did not reveal details about the gangs, saying only that "many suspects were arrested".
The operation was part of the Thai government's commitment to ending human trafficking in the region.
One step involves better regulation of migrant workers from neighbouring countries, particularly Myanmar, after several thousand were recently found to be working in Thailand without proper permission.
The government has taken steps to register all migrant workers so they can work legally through a memorandum of understanding signed between the governments.
This step supplements continuing attempts to prevent human trafficking gangs from running their illegal trade, officials insisted.
Thai authorities also, yesterday, donated 146,000-baht to be split among the 73 victims to help them begin new lives.
