SINGAPORE: Human trafficking is a big concern in
Southeast Asia; and Singapore, despite its tight security, proved
unexempt in the recent case of two auxiliary police officers who
were jailed for their role in human trafficking.
Two former auxiliary police allowed travellers with
fake passports, to board flights out of Singapore late last
year.
The mastermind was a Sri Lankan "travel agent", who
is said to be part of a wider human smuggling network.
A security expert has warned that human trafficking is big business
for organised crime networks in Southeast Asia.
Agents can earn up to US$40,000 for each illegal migrant who uses
this region as a transit point to go to western countries.
Observers said thousands of migrants, use the region as the transit
point to Australia, Europe and Canada.
Most traffickers are believed to come from South Asia, who are
looking for a better life in another country.
However, such economic migrants are not the only ones involved in
human trafficking.
"They have also smuggled terrorists, people who have conducted
human rights violations, bombings, killings, assasinations. And we
have seen a number of terrorists who have used these human
smuggling routes to travel to Canada, Europe and Australia," said
Professor Rohan Gunaratna, head of Security Studies at Rajaratnam
School of International Studies.
The solution calls for a joint effort by different
governments.
"It is very important for courts to give very severe punishments
for human smuggling. Unfortunately that is not the case, and
unfortunately southeast asian police agencies they have not taken
human smuggling seriously," said Professor Gunaratna.
Professor Gunaratna added that while most economic migrants travel
by air, a small percentage would try to use sea routes as
well.
- CNA/cc