Myanmar has repatriated 2,876 Chinese nationals suspected of telecom fraud as part of a joint operation with China and Thailand, the Ministry of Public Security said on Friday.
Mass Repatriation Underway
Of the 2,876 suspects, 2,255 were just airlifted back to China on chartered planes under Chinese police escort. The mass repatriation is a major triumph for the tri-nation crackdown that started on Feb 20, targeting telemedicine fraud rings run across Myanmar, Thailand, and China.
“This operation is a strong warning to international criminal organizations,” the Ministry of Public Security said.
China Cracks Down on Telecom Fraud
China has intensified efforts to combat telecom fraud, ensuring the safety of its citizens. Last month, a Chinese court sentenced four key figures involved in cross-border fraud to life imprisonment as part of the nationwide crackdown.
Telecom fraud hubs along the Myanmar-Thailand border are becoming increasingly troublesome, with victims from several nations, including India and China, losing significant sums of money. Scammers, sometimes disguising themselves as officials, have been implicated in several banking scams, forcing victims into online financial frauds.
Scam Networks Exploit Foreign Workers
In February, hundreds of foreign workers from 20 nationalities, including Indians, were rescued by an ethnic armed group in Myanmar’s Karen state from being trafficked into fraud centers. The workers were subsequently surrendered to the Thai army by the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA).
The majority of victims were tricked by fake job postings, where they thought they were going to work in Thailand but were instead trafficked to Myanmar and coerced into cyber scams.
Increased Instances of Forcibly Conducted Cyber Scams
According to a BBC report in Thailand, scam rings targeted English- and Chinese-speaking workers to dupe international victims. Karen state armed groups have been accused of guarding scam compounds while permitting exploitation and abuse of trafficking victims compelled to labor in these facilities.
One recent case that outraged China was that of actor Wang Xing, who was lured to Thailand with the promise of a role in a film, only to be trafficked into Myanmar and forced into operating online scams. He was eventually rescued by Thai authorities, and his case went viral in China, highlighting the extent of these scam networks.
China has committed to enhancing global law enforcement cooperation for the eradication of telecom scams and safeguarding its citizens from cross-border extortion schemes.
