You have got to hand it to these seven foreigners for sheer nerve. Three Filipinos, two Sri Lankans, one Chinese national, and one Indian tried to bypass official border crossings, sneaking along dirt trails from neighboring Thailand into the Myawaddy area of Kayin State. But before they even had a chance to settle in, local authorities caught them dead in their tracks.
All seven were hauled straight into detention. Relevant local authorities are currently processing the paperwork to deport the entire group according to official regulations. In a border zone like this, whether you are hunting for work or trying to cross under the cover of night, taking illegal shortcuts is a fast track to getting caught.
Security along this stretch of the border has been tense for a while now. From delivery riders on motorbikes to locals sipping coffee at neighborhood tea stalls, the chatter on the street is the same: checkpoints on the other side are tight and the back trails are sealed off. Trying to sneak into Myawaddy illegally is pretty much impossible these days—all that effort just ends with a quick escort out of the country.
