Smugglers operating rickety fishing boats prey on the hopes of people who fled violence in Myanmar, charging them small fortunes for a dangerous journey to Southeast Asia, offering an empty promise of a fresh start. That secured Begum and her two children a spot aboard the crescent-shaped fishing boat crammed with 33 other refugees above and below deck. One said the fishing trawler had been due to transfer the Rohingya to a bigger Malaysia-bound ship out at sea. False promisesAt its peak, transnational smuggling networks passed refugees from boat to boat before docking in Thailand and moving them overland to secret campsites in Malaysia. Local authorities fear another exodus is looming, as traffickers return to old tricks to lure vulnerable refugees onto ships.

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 23, 2018 18:11 UTC