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Thai police arrest trafficking 'Mr Big' after mass grave of Muslims discovered in the jungle

The grave contained bodies of 26 trafficked migrants

Doug Bolton
Monday 04 May 2015 22:05 BST
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Rescue workers bury coffins containing the human remains of migrants exhumed the day before from a mass grave at an abandoned jungle camp in the Sadao district of Thailand's southern Songkhla province bordering Malaysia
Rescue workers bury coffins containing the human remains of migrants exhumed the day before from a mass grave at an abandoned jungle camp in the Sadao district of Thailand's southern Songkhla province bordering Malaysia

Thai police have made arrests linked to a large human trafficking network, after a mass grave containing the bodies of 26 migrants and asylum seekers was found in a jungle near the border with Malaysia.

A man called Soe Naing, known as Anwar, is believed to be a key figure behind the network. He was charged today with human trafficking, false imprisonment and holding people for ransom. Three Thai government officials were also arrested on the same charges.

The arrests are part of a police crackdown on a long-existing human trafficking network that brings persecuted Rohingya ethnic Muslims from Myanmar into Thailand, and holds them captive in camps until they can pay a ransom for their freedom.

The arrests have exposed a link between traffickers and authorities, who many claim have turned a blind eye to traffickers operating in their areas.

26 bodies, believed to be those of Rohingya asylum seekers who fled persecution in Myanmar, were found at the abandoned camp

Authorities say the area in the mountains of Padan Besar is regularly used to harbour smuggled Rohingya Muslims, who are persecuted in the predominantly Buddhist nation of Myanmar, as well as Bangladeshis and other migrants.

A relatively affluent nation, Thailand is a hotspot for illegal migrants fleeing oppression and poverty in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar.

This makes it easy for human traffickers to exploit and profit from desperate migrants. In 2014, Thailand was downgraded from Tier 2 to Tier 3 in the United States' annual Trafficking in Persons report.

Tier 3 is reserved for nations who are not making significant efforts to comply with minimum anti-trafficking efforts.

Anwar's arrest, and the uncovering of the camp containing 26 bodies on Friday, is the first major blow to the Thai human trafficking industry since the crackdown began. Activists and some Thai officials say the industry has been allowed to flourish for years amid indifference and sometimes complicity by Thai authorities.

Speaking about Anwar's arrest, Police Colonel Anuchon Chamat said: "This is huge. He's a big guy, a top guy."

Muslim leaders give prayers over the coffins of those found in the mass grave

Anuchon said that phone records, witness statements and phone records point to Anwar playing a central role in the operation. He added that police are collecting DNA evidence from the mass grave, which may contribute to any potential murder charges.

A single survivor was found at the abandoned camp, a 28-year old Bangladeshi man named Tutan Saha who had regularly been beaten by captors who demanded a ransom he couldn't pay.

Police arrested a suspected trafficking ringleader and three Thai officials - raising concerns of corrupt relationships between traffickers and the government

Other previous inmates of the camp describe a constant stream of beatings, murder and intimidation. It is believed the camp was hurriedly evacuated just days before police arrived.

Anwar denies any involvement in trafficking, and said he was framed by people with grudges against him.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Phongsathorn Kueaseng said the network grossed around 10 million baht (£198,463) a month.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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