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BANGKOK, 12 January 2010 (NNT) – More than 500 Cambodian panhandlers in Thailand were arrested and deported back to their home country yesterday. Most of them are illegal immigrants. On 11 January 2010, Deputy Prime Minister Major General Sanan Kajornprasart, as chair of the illegal migrant labor board, accompanied by Social Development and Human Security Minister Issara Somchai and Immigration Bureau Commander Police Lieutenant General Wuthi Liptapallop, gave a press conference about the arrest of 557 Cambodian beggars. He said the panhandlers, most of them were old people, were found in bustling areas of Bangkok such as the Ying-Charoen Market, Saphan Mai, Bang Kapi, Pratunam, sky train stations, as well as any tourist attractions in other provinces nationwide. The alien beggars were apprehended from 8 to 10 January 2010. Major General Sanan added that the arrested beggars had been smuggled into the Kingdom via northeastern and eastern border checkpoints such as Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaeo province. -NNT news. ------------------ The city administration is getting ready to tackle human-trafficking rackets and will move to make the issue part of the national agenda, deputy Bangkok governor Theerachon Manomaiphiboon said yesterday. A Bangkok-wide survey will be conducted to estimate the number of beggars, both Thai and illegal immigrants, operating in the capital's 50 districts, he added. Over the weekend the authorities arrested 557 foreign beggars, of whom 220 were men, charged them with illegal entry and are preparing to have them repatriated to Cambodia. The arrests were made jointly by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry and its newly established National Operation Centre on Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking. Speaking at a press conference, Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, who oversees the government's overall operations, said the arrests would kick-off measures against human traffickers. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration hopes spearheading this project would help make it a role model for other provincial authorities. By The Nation Published on January 12, 2010