KUALA LUMPUR: Four Thai nationals suspected to be involved in a human-trafficking syndicate linked to transit camps and mass graves found in Wang Kelian, Perlis, will be charged tomorrow.
The four will be brought to the Kangar Magistrate's Court after a six-year-long extradition process to transfer the suspects from Thailand to Malaysia.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government had submitted an extradition request to the Thai government for 10 of their nationals on Jan 6, 2017.
"As a result of good cooperation between both countries, four out of 10 individuals have been successfully identified and brought before the Thai court for extradition purposes.
"The extradition case has gone through various stages in the Thai courts.
"On March 30, the Thai Court of Appeal issued a detention order for the four to be extradited to Malaysia.
"The handover of the four suspects took place today, and they will be charged tomorrow," he stated in a press release.
However, Saifuddin did not disclose the specific charges that the four individuals will
face.
The ministry also expressed its highest appreciation to the Thai government and all parties involved in ensuring the seamless extradition process of the four.
"We hope that this cooperation can continue to track down other individuals involved and bring them to face justice in court.
"The Home Ministry is committed to combating human trafficking activities and safeguarding the country's border security," he added.
In May 2015, police discovered 139 graves, 106 bodies, believed to be of Rohingya, and 29 illegal immigrant detention camps deep in the jungles of Bukit Genting Perah and Bukit Wang Burma, a few hundred metres from the Malaysia-Thai border in Wang Kelian.
The severity of the case was uncovered following an extensive two-year investigation by the New Straits Times Special Probes Team, which revealed evidence of a massive, coordinated cover-up of the killings.
Among other things, the NST probe revealed that the human trafficking death camps had been discovered months earlier, but police only announced the discovery on May 25, 2015.
On Jan 27, 2019, the government has set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the case.
The RCI was led by former chief justice Tun Arifin Zakaria, aided by panel members Datuk Noorbahri Baharuddin, Tan Sri Razali Ismail, Datuk Junaidah Abd Rahman, Datuk Nazirah Hussain, and Dr Tan Seng Giaw.
