BANGKOK: -- Fourteen Cambodians detained at a Sa Kaew prison have been repatriated to their country after being released on Wednesday, when illegal-entry charges were dropped by police.
Separately, a total of 327 Cambodians were arrested for illegal entry in three lots in this border province by joint police and Army forces.
The 14 people returned were earlier handed to Thai Immigration Police, then transported to Cambodia's Poipet checkpoint at 9.30am yesterday.
The repatriation was conducted at a location where media personnel from both countries were not permitted to enter.
Sources at the Poipet checkpoint said that the group, were greeted by their families.
Some were hugging and crying openly when they met. The media focus on the 14 came after news of the release of Thai activist Veera Somkwamkid broke on Tuesday. Speculation grew that Veera's release was linked to the repatriation of the Cambodians.
In arrests linked to the 327 others - mostly Cambodians aiming to work illegally in Thailand - a Thai woman and a Cambodian man were detained for hiding 149 Cambodians in a house and a nearby sugar-cane field.
The woman, identified as Juthamas Onsopha, has been charged with giving shelter to illegal aliens.
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