Questions raised over arrest of Malaysian journalist following trafficking cartel exposé
The journalist was arrested a week after he published a story about an alleged trafficking operation being run out of KLIA
The journalist, B. Nantha Kumar, was detained a week after Malaysiakini published his story about an alleged migrant trafficking cartel operated by a retired senior immigration officer and a Pakistani national at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Malaysia has a notorious reputation for trafficking syndicates and corruption linked to its demands for migrant workers, with its main airport often in the spotlight of scandals.
In September, dozens of airport immigration officers were arrested as part of a crackdown on migrant worker syndicates, particularly those from South and Southeast Asia.
Nantha, who has reported extensively on the syndicates, was accused of soliciting 100,000 ringgit (US$22,421) from an agent to not publish two articles but settled for a 20,000 ringgit (US $4,484) payment, according to the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).
He was arrested late on Friday night at the Concorde Hotel in Shah Alam, west of Kuala Lumpur, in a sting as he allegedly accepted the bribe.
