Human trafficking has once again reared its ugly head.
While the government’s commendable crackdown in 2015 -- when over 300 criminals involved in trafficking were pursued and arrested -- was a definitive step towards the elimination of the crime, recent incidents point to the need for constant vigilance in this regard.
Police have uncovered several cases where Rohingya have been found on boats led by traffickers, headed towards Malaysia and Thailand; and many more have already made the perilous and illegal journey.
For traffickers, the Rohingya make for ideal candidates -- they are desperate and poor, and are easily lured by promises of better lives in foreign countries.
But, of course, all too often, the ones making the journey eventually find themselves being sold to slavery, and used and abused by strangers in horrendous and unimaginable ways.
This is what makes human traffickers so dangerous, as they prey on the most vulnerable in our society -- people who feel trapped and believe that they have no other alternative.
As such, we cannot consider these cases as being isolated incidents or merely specific to the Rohingya.
Efforts must be made to generate awareness amongst the people, and get to the root of the desperation that leads people to fall prey to human traffickers.
Cracking down on human trafficking is essentially a task for our law enforcement agencies; they are the ones who must take steps to ensure that this problem is nipped in the bud, and does not become a stain on our human rights record.