Illicit human trafficking in Malaysia – some proof Sixteen Bangladeshis found locked-up in a Hat Yai room

Murray Hunter
Mar 20, 2026


Illicit human trafficking in Malaysia – some proof
Sixteen Bangladeshis found locked-up in a Hat Yai room




Picture Bangkok Post


The last time Malaysians heard about the human trafficking of South Asian was when mass graves of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh were found in remote parts of the Wang Kelian State Park in Perlis back in 2015.

After the 2019 Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) how many Malaysian officials and businesspeople were charged over the matter? The issue just conveniently went away.

Now the human trafficking of Bangladeshis into Malaysia is continuing with proof emerging earlier this week. Thai authorities recused 16 starving Bangladeshis, who were locked up in a room just outside of Hat Yai, awaiting transport into Malaysia for ‘work’. According to the Bangkok Post, the Bangladeshi migrant workers who were found locked inside a rented house in Hat Yai for three days without food or water while awaiting illegal transport to Malaysia.

Bangkok Post

The Bangladeshis said they had travelled by boat from Bangladesh and landed illicitly in Phuket. They were then transported by road to Hat Yai to await transport into Malaysia. Each of the Bangladeshis paid Baht 96,000 for the journey. They were told work was awaiting them in Malaysia.


Illicit trade in Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia

The discovery of Bangladeshi workers on their way to Malaysia is proof that the illicit trade in undocumented Bangladeshi workers is going in in Malaysia. Its clear that these people can pass through the border either without documents or with false documents into Malaysia.

Its also clear that a network of people are hawking undocumented Bangladeshi workers to potential employers who either employ these Bangladeshis with false documents or no documents at all.

This trade is going on right in front of the Malaysian authorities. Its time for the authorities to investigate.