By P Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR
Malaysian forensic teams have exhumed the remains of 99 victims from human trafficking camps near the Thai border, a police chief told Anadolu Agency Sunday.
Shafie Ismail, police chief in northern Perlis state, said the latest discovery as of 5.30 p.m. (2230GMT) included 30 skeletons found in 31 graves in Lubuk Sireh.
"There was heavy rain at about 3.20 p.m. … It was difficult with the slippery paths along the hills and jungle,” he added. “All but one grave contained only one body each. One grave was empty.”
"If there are no obstacles, all the remaining graves will be exhumed tomorrow. About 20 more graves are there to be dug up," Ismail said.
Over the last days, dozens of bodies have been discovered near the country’s border with Thailand, including 20 shrouded remains recovered Saturday and 14 victims exhumed the day before.
Last month, the country’s chief confirmed the discovery of 139 graves at 28 camps in the border town of Padang Besar.
Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar had said that security forces usually did not patrol the hilly border area, but began to focus there after Thai police found dozens of bodies belonging to Rohingya Muslim and Bangladeshi migrants.
