A man who impersonated a police officer was arrested at an immigration checkpoint in Mae Sot district in Tak on Thursday for smuggling illegal workers.
Pol Col Pongnakhon Nakhonsantiparp, chief of the Mae Sot immigration office, said policemen found five illegal immigrants in Piyapong Srisohpha's vehicle as he was driving through a checkpoint, according to Post Today.
The man wore a police uniform and falsely claimed that he was a police captain who works for the Provincial Police Region 5 by using a fake identification card.
Police officers were not convinced and later found out that Mr Piyapong was an impostor, Pol Col Pongnakhon said.
Mr Piyapong confessed he was a fish and shrimp farm owner who suffered a big loss when the 2011 flood disaster hit Pathum Thani. One of his Burmese workers persuaded him to smuggle illegal workers from the Thai-Myanmar border to Bangkok.
He earned 10,000 baht for each illegal immigrant, Mr Piyapong added.
The man was charged with transporting and concealing illegal aliens and impersonating a police officer. He was taken into custody at the Mae Sot police station for further legal proceedings.