Khaosod English: Thai officials say they have uncovered yet another abandoned camp used by human smugglers to detain Rohingya refugees near the Malaysian border, the largest of five sites found in a sweep that started at the beginning of the month.

 

According to police, the jungle camp is located three kilometers away from the first site found by security officers in Songkhla province on 1 May. The new camp reportedly consists of 21 sleeping sheds, eight latrines, two watchtowers, and one incomplete structure.

 

"This is the largest detention camp that we have found so far," said a police officer. He estimated that the camp could hold as many as 1,000 captives.

 

Police believe the jungle prisons were used by human smugglers to detain Rohingya refugees and demand ransom fees from their relatives before traveling overland into Malaysia. The Rohingya are an impoverished Muslim minority from western Myanmar who have fled the country in droves to escape ethnic and religious persecution.