22 illegal foreign workers arrested at Phuket construction site
Phuket authorities arrested 22 illegal foreign workers, including 19 Chinese nationals, at a construction site in Muang district and expanded the investigation to examine possible nominee ownership of the companies involved.
Authorities in Phuket arrested 22 illegal foreign workers at a construction site in Muang district on Tuesday and said the investigation would be widened to examine possible nominee ownership of the companies employing them.
The workers were detained at the site in tambon Chalong during an inspection led by deputy governor Pol Capt Khettharat Chansin. Officials said all of them failed to produce work permits or identification documents when asked.
They were taken to the provincial office of the Internal Security Operations Command, where they were identified as 19 Chinese nationals and three Myanmar nationals.
Pol Capt Khettharat said Phuket had recently seen many cases involving foreigners working illegally, especially Chinese nationals working and supervising at construction sites.
He said the inquiry would go beyond the workers themselves. Authorities will examine the structure of the companies involved, including shareholders and sources of investment funds, to determine whether nominee arrangements were used.
The deputy governor also said the province would apply the original “Phuket Model” in tackling foreigner-related crime in order to identify masterminds and ultimate beneficiaries. He said anyone operating legally had nothing to fear.
Phuket deputy police chief Pol Col Passakorn Sonthikul said investigators would also look into how the workers entered the country, identify those involved in bringing them to Phuket, and use technology to review and verify past travel records.
The arrests came days after a crackdown on illegal foreign nominee businesses in three southern provinces, including Phuket, led to the arrest of 48 Thai and foreign suspects on Saturday.
