A key suspect in a human trafficking case involving forced labour on a fishing trawler operating in Indonesian waters has been arrested aboard a fishing boat off Nakhon Si Thammarat, authorities said yesterday.
Thanongsak Mahasapsakhon, a resident of Songkhla, was nabbed during a joint operation between the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Second Naval Area Command, said DSI chief Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang.
Mr Thanongsak is wanted in connection with a 2015 human trafficking case in which eight Thai men and children were lured into working on a fishing vessel near Ambon island in Indonesia.
The victims lodged a complaint with the DSI after they were rescued and sent home. They were told they would get well-paid jobs but instead were forced to work on fishing trawlers.
Mr Thanongsak, aka Add Khaoroopchang, worked as a helmsman and engine mechanic on the vessel. He was accused of physically assaulting the crew.
According to Pol Col Paisit, the suspect faces charges of collaborating with others in human trafficking. There were five suspects in this case and Mr Thanonsak is the last to be apprehended.
The arrest was made on the Yor Nava 5 fishing boat which was operating off the Nakhon Si Thammarat coast after the DSI and the navy verified that Mr Thanongsak was among the crew.
The Second Naval Area Command sent two vessels, a T94 patrol boat and HTMS Sattahip, to locate Yor Nava 5, leading to the arrest of Mr Thanongsak. The suspect was then brought to Songkhla to be handed over to the DSI.
Forced labour and human trafficking in the domestic fishing industry came under increased scrutiny in 2014 when the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report demoted Thailand from the Tier 2 to the Tier 3 watch list, the lowest ranking.
The country was moved back to the Tier 2 watch list in 2016 and that status, which means the government did not fully meet the minimum standards, was maintained this year. Since October 2014, the Foreign Ministry has repatriated many Thai fishermen from Ambon and nearby islands.
