Thread: Thousands of call centre victims in Myanmar to be released

Officials say Border Guard Force has committed to cracking down on scammers and extraditing them to China to face prosecution


The Thai and Myanmar governments are working together to repatriate 261 Thai nationals who had been deceived into work for call centre scamming gangs in Myanmar’s border towns, Deputy PM and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Wednesday.


He said that about 7,000 more victims in Myanmar will be the next to be repatriated, adding that the Thai government would coordinate with their home countries to arrange direct transport so they do not find themselves stuck in Tak province after release.


Phumtham said the government has contacted embassies of countries in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, including Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia regarding the repatriation of their citizens held in Myanmar.


He added that after release, these victims will be separated by nationality and then immediately transported to their homelands on chartered flights without having to stay in Thailand.




Phumtham added that he received a report that Myanmar’s Border Guard Force (BGF) had resolved to crack down on Chinese gangs operating in Myawaddy township, which are estimated to involve around 10,000 individuals.


The report said BGF commanders met on Wednesday in a session chaired by leader Col Saw Chit Thu and resolved to use Thailand as a passageway to extradite these gang members back to China.


Over a period of 20 days, the BGF planned to send 500 persons per day to Thailand via the 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tak’s Mae Sot district, pending approval from the Thai government.


The crackdown operation would start from Thursday (February 13), in a bid to demonstrate BGF’s commitment to tackling call centre scamming gangs, which have become a growing international security concern.


BGF’s move came after Thailand cut electricity, internet and fuel supplies to five border areas in Myanmar to combat call centre fraud last Wednesday. Areas affected by the shut-off include Tachileik, Myawaddy and Phaya Thonsu townships.

Thousands of call centre victims in Myanmar to be released

Thailand to screen 53 trafficking victims from Myanmar before repatriation to their home countries





Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Phumtham Wechayachai confirmed that Myanmar authorities requested Thailand’s assistance in temporarily housing the individuals.


The group includes nationals from eight countries: 12 from the Philippines, 4 from Kenya, 1 from Tanzania, 2 from Brazil, 21 from Ethiopia, 5 from Pakistan, 2 from Bangladesh, and 6 from Nepal. Myanmar requested as it struggles to manage the situation, partly due to the shutdown of illicit networks.

Minister Phumtham credited Thailand’s pressure tactics, including cutting fuel, electricity, and internet access, for forcing Myanmar to take action against trafficking operations. He dismissed concerns over potential trade retaliation, stating that any threats to block Thai exports were Myanmar’s internal issue, not Thailand’s.


In response to concerns that Thailand could become a de facto refugee center, Minister Phumtham made it clear that the country will not establish refugee camps. Instead, each individual will be screened and repatriated. The process involves identity verification, passport checks, and embassy coordination and is expected to take three weeks to one month. Thailand will not accept additional cases unless home countries commit to taking their nationals back.




Authorities are closely monitoring the situation along Thailand’s western border, particularly in Phop Phra District of Tak Province, where the first group is expected to arrive. Some estimates suggest tens of thousands of victims could eventually be repatriated. While the scale remains uncertain, Phumtham assured that the government is prepared for any influx. Thai border security forces are on high alert to manage the situation.


For now, the victims will find temporary safety in Thailand. Their return home will depend on international cooperation, ensuring they are not left stranded after escaping exploitation.

Thailand to screen 53 trafficking victims from Myanmar before repatriation to their home countries - Pattaya Mail

It’s hard to imagine some of those countries making the effort to repatriate their citizens.

Myanmar militia hosting scam centers says it will deport 8,000 foreigners

A pro-junta Myanmar militia hosting extensive online fraud operations in its zone on the Thai border has said it will deport 8,000 scam center workers, most of them Chinese, from its area as it seeks to close down illegal activities.


The vow to clean up human trafficking and online fraud comes after unprecedented pressure on the ethnic Karen force following growing international outrage about the criminal activity in its area including forced labor.


“We expect that there will be up to 8,000 people, maybe more,” said Naing Maung Zaw, a spokesman for a militia known as the Karen Border Guard Force, or BGF, which oversees scam operations in eastern Myanmar’s Myawaddy district.

“We’ll send back as many as we have – we’ve already made a list – via Thailand or back into Myanmar. According to the figures, many of them came in with Thai visas, so we have to send them back to Thailand,” he told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday.


Most of them were from China, he said.

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