PHUKET - Twenty-two illegal workers, mostly Chinese, were arrested at a construction site in Muang district on Tuesday, as investigators expanded their probe to include nominee ownership of the companies employing them.
They were taken into custody from the work site in tambon Chalong during an inspection led by deputy governor Pol Capt Khettharat Chansin.
All failed to present work permits or identification documents when asked and were taken to the provincial office of the Internal Security Operations Command, where they were identified as 19 Chinese and 3 Myanmar nationals.
Deputy governor Khettharat said there were many recent cases in the province involving foreigners working illegally, especially Chinese working and supervising at construction sites.
On Saturday, a major crackdown on illegal foreign nominee businesses in three southern provinces, including Phuket, had resulted the arrest of 48 Thai and foreign suspects.
Therefore, the investigaion must go beyond the suspects working without permits, Pol Capt Khettharat said.
Authorities would examine the structure of the companies employing them, including shareholders and sources of invested money, to determine if there was any nominee activity involved.
The province would also apply the original "Phuket Model” solution to suppressing foreigner- crimes. It would help identify the masterminds and the ultimate beneficiaries of the crimes, the deputy governor said.
Anyone doing business legally had nothing to fear.
Phuket deputy police chief Pol Col Passakorn Sonthikul said investigators would also dig into the entry routes they used, identify those involved in bringing them here, and use the latest technology to review and verify past travel records.
