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On the human trafficking trail
27 May 2015 — In early May, a regional human trafficking crisis erupted when Thai authorities uncovered graves of human-trafficking victims near the Thai-Malaysian border, leading to a crackdown. Subsequently, Malaysian police discovered 28 abandoned camps and 139 grave sites along the 50km border in Perlis. The Malaysian Insider's photographer Hasnoor Hussain documents the first exhuming of victims at the camp located near the forested Bukit Wang Burma, the largest one found which could accommodate 300 people and home to 37 suspected graves.
The police forensic team carry tools to exhume human remains. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
A denim cap lies near the track leading to a human trafficking camp. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
On the way, there are clothes hanging on branches. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
And an empty tin of milk coffee labelled in Thai. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
Rolls of barbed wire lie on the ground surrounding a small perimeter believed to be a campsite of sorts. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
Also at this campsite, a small cage believed to keep livestock. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015
A man-made pond connected with pipes to supply water to the campsite. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
About 300 people can be accommodated here. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
A closer look shows a large wooden enclosure surrounded with barbered wires. Here, Rohingya refugees were at the mercy of their captors. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
Clothes and blue tarpaulin sheets hanging on the ramshackle wooden enclosure depict a grim scene. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
A policeman walks through the campsite. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
While another documents the area. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
Tableware lie in a hole a few feet deep. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
Investigators exhume the first body from one of the 37 unmarked graves located about 100 metres away from the camp. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
While others from the forensic team document the grave. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
After exhuming the remains, the team takes a short break. The remains will be sent to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star for post-mortem. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
Also spotted near the grave is a human jawbone, a relic of the untold atrocities that happened at the camp. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 27, 2015.
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