Over 7,000 workers from scam centers in Myanmar are awaiting repatriation after a regional crackdown
A new crackdown on online scam centers has led to over 7,000 people from around the world being held in a Myanmar border town awaiting repatriations.
MAE SOT, Thailand — A new crackdown on online scam centers has led to over 7,000 people from around the world being held in a Myanmar border town awaiting repatriation, and those helping them say the unprecedented number is straining the resources of Thailand just across the border and leading to delays.
The crackdown coordinated among Thailand, Myanmar and China follows Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s visit to Beijing this month, where she told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that Thailand would act against the scam networks that have drawn in hundreds of thousands of people.
They are often lured under false pretenses to work in scam centers in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, where they financially exploit people around the world through false romances, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes.
Many find themselves trapped in virtual slavery.
Officials from Thailand, Myanmar and China are expected to meet next week to address the logistics of the crackdown as fears grow about a possible humanitarian crisis. They aim to establish guidelines for repatriations to avoid confusion, Thai Defense Ministry spokesperson Thanathip Sawangsang told The Associated Press.
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