A child has been found in a shipping container that arrived in the Malaysian port of Port Klang from Chittagong in Bangladesh.
The container had been aboard the 1,805-teu Integra (built 2019) that docked at the Malaysian port on 17 January, according to local news agencies.
The CSBC-built feeder vessel is owned by Japanese owner Kotoku Kaiun and was operated by Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), according to Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network.
The boy, named as ‘Fahim’, believed to be from Chittagong, was found in a weak state as he was trapped inside the container for five days.
The ship left Chittagong on 12 January.
He was found by a dock worker after knocking sounds were heard from the empty container.
“Due to the sound of knocking, the six containers that arrived at the port were brought down and inspected one by one by government agencies including the Marine Police Force, the Malaysian Immigration Department (Immigration) and the Klang District Health Department,” reported The Rakyak Post.
Malaysia’s Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that there was no evidence to suggest the involvement of human trafficking syndicates.
The boy had gone into the container while playing with some friends when he fell asleep and found himself locked inside
The Malaysian government is in the process of repatriating the boy back to Bangladesh using legal channels.
He will be going home on the same ship.
