Bangladeshi student made it possible
A Bangladeshi studying in Malaysia helped the local police arrest three fellow Bangladeshi nationals for their alleged involvement in human trafficking.
Malaysian police last week detained the three Bangladeshis in connection with trafficking their 11 compatriots into the country. The 11 were rescued from confinement at an apartment in Penang.
An unofficial source in Malaysia confirmed the identities of both the traffickers and the victims, but Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur said they were still unaware of them.
Police first detained trafficker Asaduzzaman on February 18. Based on his statement, victims Ataur and Hasan of Rajshahi; Imran, Uzzal and Montu of Sirajganj; Hafizur, Shamsul and Shakaet of Natore; Shahin Milon and Akkas Ali of Naogaon; and Shafique of Jessore were rescued on February 19.
Two other traffickers, Ayub and Iqbal, were arrested later.
The victims are now kept in a safe custody in Mallacca and the police were probing the incident, said the Bangladeshi student (his name is not mentioned due to security reason).
On February 16, he informed the Cybergaya Police Station in Putrajaya about Shahin and Akkas, two victims, following the request of their families back in the country.
A Bangladeshi trafficking syndicate had brought the victims to Malaysia by boat from Cox's Bazar promising them lucrative jobs, he told The Daily Star over the phone yesterday evening.
“The victims were taken to Malaysia via sea route of Cox's Bazar and Thailand. Some Bangladeshis, Rohingyas, Myanmarese and Thais were involved in the trafficking,” he said, quoting the victims and Malaysian police.
The traffickers confined the victims and demanded Malaysian ringgit RM 17,100 (around four lakh taka in Bangladesh currency) for the release of each person, the victims told him when he met them at the safe custody after their rescue.
The families of Shahin and Akkas contacted him over the phone in the first week of this month, and told him that one Abul Kalam Azad from Rajshahi had persuaded the duo to go to Malaysia.
The student managed to contact one trafficker, Asaduzzaman, over the phone, and requested him to release the victims.
But the criminal refused and threatened him.
He then informed the police with the help of a Malay friend.
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