KUALA LUMPUR: Continuous enforcement and cooperation from neighbouring countries have brought human trafficking in the country under control, said Deputy Home Minister Jelaing Mersat.

"There had not been any marked increase in the incidence of human trafficking.

"The intelligence gathered revealed that there are syndicates involved in such activities, he said after launching the 15th Pacific Rim Immigration Intelligence (Pacrim) conference here yesterday.

Themed "Making Immigration Intelligence Relevant," the four-day closed-door conference is attended by 27 officials from immigration departments and border patrol police from nine countries.

Following bilateral talks with Australia a month ago, Mersat said, Malaysia was working out the best way to avoid becoming a transit point for human trafficking.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman said since data gathering began after the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, there was no increase in human trafficking.

"We can't say there are 1,000 or 2,000 of such incidence. Even one is a problem to us. We have to enforce the Act to improve ways of doing things rather than talk about numbers." -The Star/Asia News Network