IGP: 'Death camps' were not found in January
Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar denied a news report that the campsites erected by human traffickers in Wang Kelian, Perlis, were found in January instead of earlier this month.
Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar denied a news report that the campsites erected by human traffickers in Wang Kelian, Perlis, were found in January instead of earlier this month.
"No, I deny that (the report)," Khalid said simply to reporters in a press conference today.
He was earlier asked the same question and replied: "No, there is no such thing."
He reiterated that the camps were found in May, as earlier announced.
The Star yesterday quoted personnel from the General Operations Force involved in the combing exercise as saying that a trafficking camp was found following a major arrest of illegal migrant in January.
Police found 139 graves near human trafficking campsites on the Thai-Malaysian border, in Wang Kelian, Perlis, in an operation starting May 11.
However, NGO reports on human trafficking in Malaysia have highlighted the existence of the camps as early as 2008.
Migrant rights NGO Tenaganita said it lodged various police reports on the matter over the years, to no avail.
'Everyone blames the police'
"When such things happen, everyone points fingers saying that the authorities did not take action.
"I have said it many times that we did not detect anything which shows that these illegal immigrants used routes to Malaysia through these camps," Khalid said, when asked.
He, however, admitted that police had knowledge of people smuggling in the area.
"Who doesn't know about people smuggling and human trafficking going on there.
"I have given you the figures, (on) how many we have been arresting for the last year and previous years.
"Don't think that we've just been sitting idle not doing anything," said Khalid.
In related development, a body believed to be of a Myanmar national was discovered near a paddy field in Alor Setar in the state of Kedah, which borders Perlis.
The body was found by farmers at 8.30am wrapped in a Spongebob Squarepants plastic mat and sent to the Sultan Bahiyah Hospital for a post-mortem, The Star reported.
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