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Traffickers arrested, victims heading to Palau rescued in Bangladesh

Xinhua, June 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Detective Branch (DB) of Bangladesh Police have arrested two traffickers and rescued 17 trafficking victims heading to northern Pacific nation of Palau in capital Dhaka.

DB Assistant Commissioner Mahamud Naser told the media on Monday that "The victims were rescued Sunday night. They were being trafficked to Palau via Indonesia and Thailand."

Bangladesh raised its vigilance against human trafficking after Thai authorities found camps used for holding migrants heading to Malaysia and mass graves in its southern province last month.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last week said steps need to be taken against those who try to go abroad illegally risking their lives apart from the middlemen as they are tarnishing the country' s image abroad.

Malaysia and Thailand have reportedly cracked down on traffickers, who smuggle people from Bangladesh and Myanmar on boats across the Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh expressed its commitment to go tough against human traffickers.

At least five human traffikers died in what Bangladesh Police described as "shootouts" last month in parts of the country. Endi