Immigration police have rounded up more than 100 Burmese employed by a direct-sales business targeting migrant workers.

The workers, many smartly dressed in suits, were arrested yesterday as they were being trained at the company’s office on Sathon Tai road.

Pol Col Manat Sriwongsa, a superintendent with the immigration police, led the raid on the Bangkok Insurance Building at 11am following complaints that a number of foreigners were attending sales training there. Immigration police went to Digital Crown Holdings Co on the 26th floor of the building in Sathon district.

They found 113 migrant workers. Seventy-six were charged with illegal entry, 13 with leaving their permitted area of stay and 24 with working without a work permit. All will be repatriated.

Police have issued summonses to two executives of the company, reportedly a French national and a Taiwanese.

Pol Col Manat said most of those arrested were Burmese while one was Lao. Most were illegal immigrants while some had registered under the alien workers scheme.

Pol Col Manat said each foreigner paid 1,200 baht to join the company. In return, they received products to sell such as perfumes, cosmetics, air fresheners, kitchenware and electrical appliances.

Most of those arrested yesterday told police they had other jobs such as sewing, fishing, construction and working in factories.

They came to the company to try to make extra money. Pol Col Manat said the company’s owners would be charged with hiring illegal labour.

By: WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM