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Rohingya refugee named human trafficking suspect
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Local residents protest against the arrival of Rohingya refugees on Dec. 18, 2023, near a temporary camp where the refugees are staying at a port in Sabang Island, Aceh. The mostly Muslim Rohingya were the target of a 2017 crackdown by Myanmar's military that is the subject of a United Nations genocide probe. Around a million refugees have fled to Bangladesh, and from there thousands risk their lives each year on long and expensive sea journeys to reach Malaysia and Indonesia. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin)
T
he police have named a Rohingya refugee they suspect of human trafficking following the arrival of refugees in Aceh Besar regency on Dec. 10.
“Initially we suspected him because when the boat landed in Blang Ulam area, Aceh Besar regency on Dec. 10, the suspect was not among the refugees but moved away to hide,” Banda Aceh Police chief Sr. Comr. Fahmi Irwan Ramli said during a press conference in Banda Aceh, as reported by kompas.com on Monday.
The suspect was identified as 35-year-old Muhammad Amin, who was once a refugee being sheltered in Lhokseumawe, Aceh in 2022.
Amin then escaped to Malaysia through the North Sumatra and Riau provinces.
Witnesses told the police that the suspect looked for refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, to transport to Malaysia, Thailand or Indonesia to find a job and get money, Fahmi said.
“We have questioned 11 witnesses and they confessed to giving Amin between 100,000 and 120,000 taka (US$902) or between Rp 14 million and Rp 16 million. Some refugees provided the money through their parents and relatives,” he added.
The collected money was used to buy a boat and food and the remainder was held by the suspect.
