Malaysia

Cops yet to arrest anyone linked to mass graves in Perlis

The site of a former human-trafficking camp in Wang Kelian, Perlis. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 18, 2015.The site of a former human-trafficking camp in Wang Kelian, Perlis. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 18, 2015.Almost seven months after mass graves believed to be of human trafficking victims were discovered at Wang Kelian in Perlis, Malaysian police have yet to arrest anyone. 

SAC Goh Kok Liang, head of the team investigating the case, said last month that six foreign suspects had been identified, but they were still at large today.

“No development, we are still tracking them down,” he said when contacted in Kuala Lumpur.

He admitted that police did not know whether the six, believed to be Thais and Myanmar, were still in the country.

Police announced in May the discovery of graves with 106 skeletal remains believed to be of Rohingyas, and 28 human trafficking camps.

The 139 graves, some of them empty, sat atop a hill hundreds of metres above sea level.

Thai police charged 88 people, including a general, with human trafficking last month.

“Our investigations so far have not revealed any Malaysian involvement... but we are still investigating," said Goh.

ACP Maszely Minhad, assistant director of anti-trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants unit DC7 in Bukit Aman, explained the problems Malaysian police faced.

“When the Thais raided the camps on their side, the victims and culprits were still there.

“When we went to the camps on our side of the border, all had left. So we had to depend on witnesses we found nearby,” he said. – Bernama, December 18, 2015.

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