Pattaya Immigration Department Catches Srilankan Human Trafficking Gang

The four gang members arrested are Mr. Welgamage Gamini Weerasinghe (gang leader) aged 45, Mr. Panagoda Arachghilage Dhanush Avantha Karunarathna aged 30, Mr. Marappulige Dinesh Suranga aged 21 and Mr. Pahala Gedara Samantha Lalith Thilakarathna aged 27.

They were caught in the vicinity of the Jomtien Complex and as evidence had many passports in their possession. Furthermore, Mr. Welgamage Gamini Weerasinghe also had an outstanding arrest warrant for human trafficking from Sri Lanka.

 Following investigations of the border police and immigration department, Mr. Welgamage Gamini Weerasinghe (leader of the human trafficking gang) and his four accomplices confessed to lying to Saththiy Anadan Senthil Kumar and his six other friends by saying that they could take them to work in a third country.

Mr. Welgamage told Mr. Saththiy that those who wished to work in anther country must pay him an installment of US 1,500 dollars. Mr. Welgamage then brought Mr. Saththiy and his friends to be hidden in Thailand, while they waited for the visa of their final destination to arrive, and for the second installment to be paid. However, whilst waiting for the installment, Mr. Welgamage Thai visa expired and he was caught.

Mr. Saththiy Anadan Senthil Kumar, one of the seven victims who were tricked into being trafficked into a third country stated that, “Me and my six other companions are all Sri Lankan, and were traveling to Romania to work. We came to ask the Thai Immigration department in Pattaya for help since we were afraid of getting scammed, as we had noticed that our Thai visas had expired. All of us had paid for all traveling expenses to Mr. Welgamage Gamini Weerasinghe, amounting to 50,000 Baht per person. We then traveled to Thailand where Mr. Welgamage Gamini Weerasinghe collected another US 1,500 dollars each, as we waited for our Romanian Visas.”