260 Trafficking Victims Rescued from Myanmar Scam Centers Repatriated

Victims from 20 nationalities were freed from forced labor in online scam operations and transferred to Thailand for protection and repatriation.

The Thai army announced the repatriation of 260 trafficking victims rescued from scam centers in Myanmar's Myawaddy district, near the Thai border.
The victims, including 221 men and 39 women, were from 20 countries, with the largest group being Ethiopians, followed by individuals from Kenya, the Philippines, and China.
Myanmar has become a hub for online scam operations run by criminal syndicates, exploiting thousands of trafficked workers to execute fraudulent schemes such as fake investment pitches and illegal gambling.
The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, an ethnic militia group in Myanmar, played a key role in rescuing the victims and transferring them to Thai authorities.
Thai officials, under increased pressure from China, have intensified efforts to combat scam networks, including cutting off utilities to border areas where these operations thrive.