Four Japanese men were caught in Mae Sot, Thailand, after illegally crossing the border into Myanmar. Thai police say they had active arrest warrants in Japan for drug-related crimes.
The group checked into a hotel in Mae Sot on Jan 31, then left the next day, taking a taxi to the Rim Moei Market near the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge. They wandered around like regular tourists before disappearing. Meanwhile, a Myanmar national crossed into Thailand, grabbed their luggage from the hotel, and took it back to Myanmar—without going through customs.
Authorities suspected the men were involved in criminal activities, possibly working with a call center scam gang targeting Japanese citizens. Thai police reached out to the Japanese Embassy, which confirmed their criminal records.
When the suspects crossed back into Thailand on Friday, police were ready. They were immediately arrested, their tourist visas were canceled, and they’re now being held at Mae Sot Immigration. They’ll soon be sent to Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Centre before being deported back to Japan.
