Skeletons found in Thailand could be linked to trafficking ring

06 May 2015
Skeletons found in Thailand could be linked to trafficking ring
Two Skeletons and another camp have been discovered in Trafficking case Photo: EPA

Two skeletons found in Phang Nga southern Thailand are believed to be connected to a people trafficking ring that was responsible for the deaths of 26 migrants. The skeletons, one of which was found tied to a tree, were found in Phang Nga several hundred kilometres away from the site in Songkhla province where the 26 bodies were found in what was considered to be a holding camp for Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants.
A second camp was also found in Padang Besar jungle, Songkhla, with at least another five graves. The second camp was located a about 1 km away from the first site.
Authorities expect to find a number of similar camp in the dense jungle which is a wll known trafficking route for migrants to Malaysia. Traffickers allegedly pay $20,000 or more for a boatload of migrants, and then try to recoup the costs by demanding large ransoms from family members who have already arrived in Malaysia. There have been allegations of local authorities’ complicity in the trafficking with at least three officials being arrested and more being sought.