Police break foreign begging gang

The beggars, who usually did their rounds near the Victory Monument, Siam Paragon, Central World, Rajprasong Intersection, Soi Nana and Sukhumvit Road, have been charged with illegal entry and will soon be deported.

Meanwhile, the gang leaders, identified as Myan Chia, Ton Ku, Ti Thang and Wan, face humantrafficking charges.

"We have received a lot of complaints about these foreign beggars," Pol Colonel Noppawat Arayangura said at a press conference yesterday. He is a superintendent of the Royal Thai Police Children, Juveniles and Women Division.

Noppawat said after receiving the complaints, police investigated to see how these beggars operated and where they were based. According to a police report, Myan Chia ran the begging gang recruiting mothers with young children so they could easily win sympathy from passersby.

"We have issued an arrest warrant for Myan Chia," Noppawat said.

Myan Chia has admitted he sneaked into Thailand three months ago and got a job supervising Cambodian beggars for Bt400 a day. He added the begging gang was run by a Thai.

Police are going to look into the case further in a bid to nail down all people involved.