2 detained for bringing Rohingya in boat to Langkawi

The two men detained are said to have collected RM15,000 from each of the 202 Rohingya who landed in a boat on Langkawi on April 5. (MMEA pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has arrested two Rohingya for alleged human trafficking, authorities said.

The arrests come as the authorities strengthened maritime patrols in an effort to stop the illegal arrival of Rohingya due to fears they could be infected with Covid-19.

A boat was turned away by the navy last week.

In another incident, earlier this month, 60 Rohingya died on a crammed boat stranded in the Bay of Bengal for two months. Survivors claimed they had been turned away from Thailand and Malaysia.

However, another boatload of Rohingya managed to land in Langkawi in early April and officials said the pair detained were believed to have been involved in that case.

The two were brothers, aged 31 and 34.

“Authorities seized a notebook detailing information on the money collected from their human-smuggling business related to the April 5 arrival of 202 Rohingya Muslims in Langkawi,” said Zulinda Ramly, deputy director with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

Each migrant paid RM15,000 to be brought into Malaysia, she said.

The coastguard is hunting other syndicate members, Malaysians and foreigners, accused of helping the migrants to illegally enter the country.

Malaysia’s tougher stance in seeking to stop the arrival of boatloads of Rohingya has alarmed rights groups, who fear several other vessels may be at sea.

Rohingya often begin their journeys in Bangladesh, where many of the minority live in overcrowded camps after fleeing a military crackdown in their homeland. - FMT