An employee of Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG), which is developing the Velena International Airport in Maldives, was locked inside a container, the Public Interest Law Center (PILC) said.
PILC stated that the expatriate employee of the airport company was detained for seven days. They also said that he escaped by destroying what appeared to be a window in the container. The victim has tried to seek help from the police but has been unable to do so. The case has also been submitted to the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) three times, PILC said in a statement.
The PILC alleged that BUCG was bringing workers to Maldives illegally and that the detainee was reported as a missing person when this case was reported to the authorities.
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The reasons behind why the victim was held as captive is still unclear
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It is also unclear whether his missing report was filed within Maldives or was he already declared as a missing person in China
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This case needs to be investigated properly because it might just lead to human trafficking as the evidences are all hinting in that direction
The PILC has also said that government agencies have neglected to take action against such illegal activities and violations by by big companies like BUCG.
The company, BUCG was awarded a US$400 million project to build a new runway at the Velana International Airport. The runway and the airport’s new seaplane terminal were officially opened and put into service at the VIA on 6th October 2022.
