Bangkok to extradite 3 human trafficking kingpins
BUKIT KAYU HITAM: Thailand has approved Malaysia’s request to extradite three international human trafficking syndicate kingpins to face charges in connection with illegal camps discovered in Wang Kelian, Perlis, two years ago.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his counterpart from Thailand, General Prawit Wongsuwon, had agreed to the extradition request under the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement between both nations.
He said the three kingpins were jailed in Thailand.
“I have discussed the matter with General Prawit, who is also defence minister, and he has agreed to the request under our MLA,” he said after inspecting work progress at the new Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex site here yesterday.
Zahid said the number of human trafficking kingpins sought by Malaysia was three, and not 10 as reported earlier.
“We have identified, from the 10 people wanted by Malaysia, that three of them are in Thai prisons, and we have reached an agreement with the Thai government to extradite them to Malaysia.
“Wisma Putra has submitted the documents required by the Thai government and we are confident that we will bring them here to face charges soon.”
He said it was crucial for Malaysia to charge the three kingpins so it could improve its position in the United States’ State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.
The US State Department assesses 188 countries yearly to determine what is being done to stop human trafficking.
The countries are ranked as Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List and Tier 3. Tier 1 countries are doing well to stop human trafficking, while Tier 3 countries are not. Tier 2 Watch List countries are those who do not meet antitrafficking standards, but are making efforts to do so.
In May 2015, police uncovered mass graves of human trafficking victims in the jungles of Bukit Burma in Wang Kelian. A total of 153 remains were found and they were reburied in Pokok Sena, Kedah.
The discovery of the camps caused Malaysia’s position to slip to Tier 3 in 2015, before being upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List last year.