2500 migrants still adrift: UN

BANGKOK, May 27 (Agencies): More than 2,500 migrants could still be stranded on boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, according to estimates by the United Nations.

Thailand prepares to host a regional meeting Friday to focus on "immediate action" to tackle the migrant crisis.

In a joint press conference at Manila Wednesday, representatives of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) appealed for $26m in aid for the rescue, resettlement, or return of as many as 10,000 people affected by the migrant crisis.

UNHCR representative to the Philippines Bernard Kerblat said at least  2,621 migrants are believed to be drifting in small 'rickety boats'  at sea-many near the coast of Malaysia and off the coast of Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar and migrants from Bangladesh have tried to land in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia since a Thai crackdown on people smugglers in early May led to trafficker crews abandoning them at sea.

Meanwhile, Malaysian police are investigating 12 of their officers to determine whether they had links to mass graves at human-trafficking camps found in the remote north, a top official was quoted as saying Wednesday.

Four of the officers had been arrested during various police investigations since early last year, Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insider news portal.