Southeast Asia Cracks Down on Human Trafficking and Scam Centers

Thousands await repatriation as multinational efforts intensify to dismantle criminal networks exploiting trafficked workers.

Authorities in Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia are targeting scam centers involved in financial fraud and human trafficking, with ties to organized crime networks.
Approximately 7,000 foreigners, primarily Chinese nationals, remain stranded in Myanmar, awaiting repatriation to their home countries.
Thailand is considering constructing a border wall with Cambodia to curb illegal crossings linked to scam operations, though details of the proposal remain unclear.
Rescue operations have freed hundreds of trafficked individuals, but many remain in squalid conditions or under the control of criminal groups.
Experts warn that despite the crackdown, criminal networks are adapting by relocating operations and exploiting economic vulnerabilities in the region.