Malaysian police have detained 27 Bangladeshis, who ‘paid’ around RM15,000 (Tk 300,000) each for jobs in the country, on charge of intrusion. According to a report by Malaysia’s the Star Online, these ‘illegal migrants’ were only getting a daily meal of water and roti canai and a cold hard floor to sleep on. According to the report, the Bangladeshis arrived in Malaysia through Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb 2, from where their agent took them to Shah Alam City. However, the group was rejected by the factory because of immigration issues. They were then transported to Johor Baru where they were again rejected, it adds. The Bangladeshis arrived in Penang on Monday when police were tipped off.
Three Malaysians, suspected to be members of a human trafficking syndicate, have also been arrested on charges of their involvement in the incident. Penang police chief Comm Datuk Abdul Ghafar Rajab said 17 of the foreigners were found when police stormed a two-storey industrial building in Taman Desa Murni.
“They were very weak as they were only fed with water and roti canai. The cement floor was their bed. After the Malaysian suspects were questioned, we found another 10 Bangladeshis in a workshop in Bagan Lalang, Butterworth, who we believe were sold to a factory,” he said.
“All 27 of them do not have work permits and they only had photostated copies of their passport. “All were men aged between 20 and 40. “We staked out the building in Taman Desa Murni after receiving the tip off and at 11am on Tuesday, we raided it,” Comm Abdul Ghafar told a press conference yesterday.
The three locals, aged between 30 and 60, were remanded yesterday for 28 days to facilitate investigations