In Monday’s return flights, nearly 300 Indians were repatriated from Thailand after they were released from the Myanmar scam centers. Repatriation occurs amidst ongoing efforts to stem illegal internet-based fraud ring operations that have become rampant in the country.
Myanmar authorities, in response to pressure from Beijing, have recently launched crackdowns on the scam compounds that have thrived in the lawless border areas of the country. About 7,000 foreign workers from various nations have been released, the bulk of whom were Chinese, according to reports. The majority of these individuals were detained in poor conditions in makeshift detention centers along the Thai-Myanmar border.
To facilitate the repatriation of Indian citizens, an Indian delegation entered Myanmar to escort seven buses of the released individuals, and three other buses of their luggage, to Mae Sot airport in northwest Thailand.
A C-17 cargo plane was dispatched by the Indian government to repatriate 266 males and 17 females, and another batch of 257 would be repatriated on Tuesday.
China has already repatriated over 2,000 of its citizens from Myanmar, following a joint effort among the three countries to resolve the issue since last month.
Scam clusters in Myanmar’s border regions have become a branch of a very lucrative criminal enterprise costing billions of dollars annually. The clusters have thousands of foreign workers who scour social media for victims and often use romance or business opportunities to exploit them. The workers report that they were misled into the work and that they have been subjected to physical abuse while in captivity.
On the other hand, China has handled its repatriated workers as criminal suspects, frequently handcuffing them upon arrival.
