Bangladesh navy halts ship carrying hundreds of migrants

Bangladesh's navy on Monday intercepted a ship in the Bay of Bengal carrying hundreds of migrants being taken to Malaysia by people-smugglers, officers said. Most of the would-be migrants were from Bangladesh, but some were thought to be from Myanmar, an officer told AFP on condition of anonymity. "There are 500-600 people in the boat," the officer said. "Some 90 percent of those aboard the boat are Bangladeshis and the rest are from Myanmar. The crew are all from Myanmar."
Thousands of poor Bangladeshi and ethnic Rohingya refugees from Myanmar try to migrate to Malaysia every year on a perilous and sometimes fatal 3,200-kilometre (2,000-mile) journey. Police said the boat was "heading to Malaysia illegally" and would be taken into shore.