FOCUS | Two years ago, on May 24, 2015, the Malaysian authorities uncovered more than 100 bodies in multiple mass graves about 500 metres from the country’s northern border as well as numerous human trafficking camps.

Many believed the remains were those of young Bangladeshi migrants seeking work and Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

According to the Malaysian police they had died due to torture and starvation. The discovery of their bodies re-ignited regional concerns about people smuggling and trafficking across the Thai-Malaysia border.

The incident also highlighted the scale and profitability of criminal human trafficking operations at the border, which were long denied by the Malaysian authorities.

At the time of discovery, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak claimed he was deeply concerned by this and asserted that he would find those responsible.

The Home Minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, stated he suspected that the camps have been operating for at least five years and that Malaysian citizens were involved in the trafficking networks...