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2mo ago

Indonesia Repatriates 561 Citizens Rescued from Myanmar Scam Centres

The rescued individuals, freed from forced online fraud operations, are undergoing questioning to determine their roles in the criminal networks.

Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, stuck in limbo at a compound inside the KK Park, a fraud factory, and a human trafficking hub on the border with Thailand-Myanmar after a multinational crackdown on the compounds run by criminal gangs, operated by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) in Myawaddy, Myanmar, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, stuck in limbo at a compound inside the KK Park, a fraud factory, and a human trafficking hub on the border with Thailand-Myanmar after a multinational crackdown on the compounds run by criminal gangs, operated by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) in Myawaddy, Myanmar, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
An Indonesian national rescued from Myanmar's scam centres carries her luggage upon arrival from Thailand, at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, near Jakarta, Indonesia, March 18, 2025. Tatan Syuflana/Pool via REUTERS
An Indonesian national rescued from Myanmar's scam centres reacts upon his arrival from Thailand, at Soekarno-Hatta International airport in Tangerang, near Jakarta, Indonesia, March 18, 2025. Tatan Syuflana/Pool via REUTERS

Overview

  • 561 Indonesians freed from scam centres in Myanmar's Myawaddy region are being repatriated via Thailand, with flights scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • The scam centres, part of a Southeast Asian criminal network, exploit trafficked individuals by forcing them into online fraud under abusive conditions.
  • Many rescued Indonesians reported severe abuse, including beatings, electrocution, and threats of organ harvesting for failing to meet fraud targets.
  • Authorities are questioning the repatriated individuals to distinguish victims from those potentially complicit in the operations, with legal action possible for the latter.
  • Despite recent crackdowns freeing 7,000 people, the United Nations estimates that up to 120,000 individuals remain trapped in similar operations in Myanmar.