Human trafficking to Malaysia has found a new route. At least 25 syndicates, with several thousand agents, are transporting Bangladeshi people to Malaysia, with false promises of work, through the sea route. Law enforcement agencies have been kept on their toes to prevent such trafficking. However, they are yet to arrest any of the trafficking agents or syndicate bosses. According to sources, the masterminds of such syndicates are in collusion with political leaders of Cox’s Bazar. The syndicate bosses reside in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Malaysia, they said.
The sources also said that the trafficking agents had become active in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Dhaka and several districts in the northern part of the country. The agents lure the poor, as well as the unemployed, with false promises of jobs abroad. They usually demand Tk. 2-3 lakh from their clients for sending them to Malaysia through the sea route.
When there are many mouths to feed and agents are knocking on your rickety door every day with glorious promises, the temptation is too hard to resist. Many poor people have lost their valuables after being convinced by the agents. A large number of trafficking victims are even languishing in Malaysian jails for illegal immigration.
According to BGB sources, the traffickers are using Teknaf and the Bay of Bengal for transportation. They usually carry their clients in motor boats and trawlers along the rough sea. Apart from frequent accidents, the boats and trawlers are often caught by the BGB or the NASAKA of Myanmar or the Thai navy.
Sources said the BGB had recently arrested 400 people, to be sent to Myanmar, in separate raids at Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar.
On Wednesday morning, a BGB team arrested six people, who were being sent to Myanmar, from the beach area of West Para of Shaporirdwip in Sabrang union of Teknaf upazila. Later, they were handed over to the police. The six are Mohammed Ahad (25), Mohammed Mofiz (28), Md Abdur Rasid (28), Jahangir Alam (24), Md Solaiman (29) and Pikul Hossen (23).
When asked, Jahangir Alam said: “I don’t know about anything illegal. I paid Tk. 50,000 to an agent for going to Malaysia. Now I realise that he is a fraud.”
Lt. Col. Jahid Hasan, commander of the Teknaf BGB 42 battalion, told The Independent that there was a recent spurt in human trafficking, especially during Ramadan. The BGB has intensified raids against the human traffickers. acting on secret information, he added.
Sources said a BGB team arrested 220 people in Cox’s Bazar on July 8. They were being trafficked by a Thailand flag carrier trawler through the Bay of Bengal. Besides, the BGB detained 23 persons on July 4, 23 on July 6, nine on July 14 last, 14 on July 15 from the Bay of Bengal.
The sources also said law enforcement agencies had started preparing a list of human trafficking syndicates. On July 9, BGB member Mijanur Rahman filed a case against 45 human traffickers with Teknaf police station. All of them are engaged in trafficking people through the sea route.
When asked, Cox’s Bazar police super Mohammed Azad Miah said: “It’s true that human traffickers have become active on the sea route. They are trafficking Bangladeshi people and are involved in smuggling goods from Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. We’re well aware of the situation. In this month alone, around 320 people were arrested from Cox’s Bazar.”
BCG Teknaf station commander Faizul Kabir said: “Our teams are conducting drives to stop human trafficking through the sea route.”
Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner Md Ruhul Amin said: “The government is taking steps to stop human trafficking through the sea route. Directives have already been given to all law enforcement agencies.”
-With The Independent input
