Cops keeping a close eye on areas with many foreigners

GEORGE TOWN: In view of the discovery of “death camps” in southern Thailand, Penang police are monitoring areas with a high population of foreigners and their favourite hangouts.

A police source said they had done surveillance in these areas and scored several successes.

“In recent weeks, we have not come across any such (human trafficking) activities,” the source added.

The biggest success came in Sungai Petani, Kedah, last year when police rescued 46 foreigners confined to a house in Taman Sejati Indah.

They were Bangladeshis and Myanmar nationals aged between 18 and 45, many of whom were found to be starving and malnourished.

In December last year, police uncovered a “slaughter house” in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, following a spate of gruesome murders involving at least 20 victims.

The murders came to light following the discoveries of human body parts on the mainland and the island.

However, police have since clarified that the gruesome murders involving Myanmar nationals were not linked to human trafficking.

When approached, several foreign workers who said they had legal work permits claimed they were not aware of any such Rohingya in Butterworth.

Rohingya Society Malaysia secretary-general Anwar Ahmad, who has been in Malaysia for 18 years, said they had not received any reports of human trafficking relating to Rohingyas in Penang.