BANGKOK, Jan 11 (TNA) – Almost 500 foreigners have been arrested
in Thailand in the latest round of nationwide raids under “X-Ray Outlaw
Foreigner” operation, netting more than 6,000 foreigners since it was launched
in 2017.
Aimed mainly at busting visa abusers and illegal migrants,
the operation was initially launched as “Operation Black Eagle, before renamed
last year to “X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner.
In the 42nd round of raids on Thursday, police and other
agencies searched 239 locations across the country and arrested 490 foreigners
of various nationalities, Pol Lt-General Surachet Hakpan, Immigration Bureau
chief, announced early Friday morning.
Most of them violated immigration laws by overstaying their
visas or illegally entering the Kingdom, he said.
The majority of them are citizens of Thailand’s neighboring
countries but there are also some from European countries – Germany, Sweden,
Italy and Russia.
Since 2017, 6,252 locations have been raided and 6,468
people arrested in the operation.
Pol Lt-General Surachet said police and Immigration Bureau
would continue to x-ray for illegal migrants and foreign criminals in order to
ensure safety for Thai people and tourists.
The operation would focus on tourist destinations as foreign tourist
arrivals had drastically increased, he said.
Previous operations have seen searches at places popular
among foreigners as well as workplaces including language schools and
factories. (TNA)
