Over 200 foreigners rescued from scam centres still stranded along Thai-Myanmar border
June 24 (Reuters) - More than 200 foreign nationals rescued from scam centres in eastern Myanmar remain stranded along the war-torn country's border with Thailand, according to a local rebel group overseeing their repatriation.
For years criminal networks have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam compounds across Southeast Asia, including many along the Thai-Myanmar border, where victims are forced to work in illegal online schemes, according to the United Nations.
Karen National Army, a rebel group that claims to have repatriated more than 8,000 foreign nationals after rescuing them from scam centres in Myanmar's Myawaddy area in recent months, said it was currently housing 216 people, including citizens of Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
"We are giving food and medical supplies to these people," KNA spokesperson Naing Maung Zaw told Reuters on Tuesday.
"Some are even pregnant, and we are providing health care for them."
Since February, Thailand has halted electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five Myanmar border areas, including Myawaddy, in a bid to disrupt the scam centres, which have become an escalating regional security concern.
Two residents of Myawaddy, which lies across from the Thai town of Mae Sot, said that there hasn't been any electricity supplied from Thailand for months.
Power supplied by the Myanmar government has not been stable, leaving much of the settlement - and the scam centres surrounding it - reliant on generators, they said.
Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Monday that her administration was planning to curtail electricity supplies to illegal operations in Cambodia, following a sharp decline in relations between the neighbours.
"After we cut electricity and water to Myanmar, the number of complaints dropped significantly," Paetongtarn told reporters.
"We've since learned that the criminal activity has moved from Myanmar to Cambodia."
The Cambodian government denies the allegations.
International pressure to shut down the scam centres intensified following the abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was kidnapped after arriving in Thailand in January.
He was later rescued by Thai police, who located him across the border in Myanmar.
Criminal networks, mainly emanating from China, are known to run several of these scam centres, including those in the Myawaddy region, according to the United States Institute of Peace.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
32 minutes ago
- BBC News
Juliana Marins: Brazilian tourist who fell off Indonesian volcano found dead
A Brazilian tourist who fell while hiking near the crater of an active volcano in Indonesia has been found dead, her family and rescuers Marins survived the initial fall from a cliff during an early morning group hike along a steep trail on Mount Rinjani, with rescuers reporting hearing her screams for help on efforts to reach the 26-year-old over the following days were hampered by the extreme terrain and foggy weather, according to Indonesian a complex rescue operation, teams finally reached her body on Tuesday, her family said in a statement on social media. "With great sadness, we inform you that she did not survive," Marins' family said. "We remain very grateful for all the prayers, messages of affection and support that we have received."Marins had been backpacking around Thailand and Vietnam before arriving in Lombok Island, was hiking up Indonesia's second-tallest volcano with five friends and a guide on Saturday at about 06:30 local time (23:30 GMT Friday), when authorities said she fell from "a cliff that surrounds the trail next to the volcano's crater".One group member told Brazilian TV that the terrain was slippery, the climb "very hard," and visibility footage and other clips filmed by hikers that have been circulating online and carried by Brazilian media also appear to show her distressed but alive and moving on Saturday. She was seen sitting and moving around in grey soil, far below a hiking rescuers could not find her when they descended 300m (984ft) to where they believed she was located, nor did she respond when they called out to Sunday morning, drone footage showed that she was no longer in the same place, said park authorities, who added that thick fog had hampered rescue efforts and affected the use of a thermal Monday rescuers were able to locate Marins again, who appeared to have had fallen even further, but they had to stop work because of "climate conditions", according to the search resumed on Tuesday, and rescuers finally reached her body after descending 600m down a ravine, Indonesia's search and rescue agency said in a bad weather has meant they have yet to retrieve her body. Efforts are due to resume early on Wednesday total, 50 people have been involved in the rescue operation, search and rescue head Mohammad Syaffi said in a 3,726m volcano attracts thousands of visitors each several people have died trying to climb it in recent years - including a Malaysian tourist last month, Reuters news agency reported. Marins family have expressed concern over the fact the trail was not closed after she fell.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Dancer tourist, 26, found dead in active volcano crater as frantic 4-day rescue op ends in tragedy after fall on hike
A BRAZILIAN dancer has been found dead in Indonesia after she was trapped in an active volcano for four days, her family has revealed. Juliana Marins, 26, fell in a dangerous area of Mount Rinjani and, tragically, didn't survive the long wait for rescue. 2 2 Juliana took Juliana, from Rio de Janeiro, fell off the edge overlooking the volcano's famous crater lake in the morning of June 21. She was spotted by passing tourists after they heard her harrowing screams for help. Shocking drone footage showed her sitting in a volcano pit, appearing out of energy. She is said to have rolled nearly 1,000ft down the slope before coming to a stop in a rocky ravine on the Indonesian island of Lombok. .
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
‘Kardashian of Cheshire' ADMITS posing as millionaire to swindle wealthy pals and family out of £200k in handbag scam
A MAN who described himself as the "Kardashian of Cheshire" has admitted posing as a millionaire to con his own family and wealthy friends out of £200,000. Jack Watkin pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud, worth a total of more than £195,000 on the second day of his trial at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday. 7 7 7 The 26-year-old conned people - including his own father - out of tens of thousands of pounds he claimed was for luxury handbags. He spent his money in Harrods and five-star London hotel The Dorchester, where he racked up a bill of more than £100,000, police said. The jury heard he gained his victims' trust with an "outward facade of a glamorous and luxurious lifestyle". Watkin, who appeared in Channel 4 documentary Rich Kids Of Instagram in 2016, was warned by Judge Simon Berkson he faces a prison sentence. Detective Constable Gareth Yates said: "Jack Watkin has built a lifestyle on social media, on Instagram, and that lifestyle is one of exuberance. "So, if anyone was to look at that profile, you would see fancy hotels, luxury cars, designer clothing, and he created a following. "As a result of that he then gets notoriety, from an Instagram perspective, followers, people. "He often described himself as the Kardashian of Cheshire. "What my understanding from that would be is that he is an individual of wealth and has the ability to purchase wealthy items. "People follow him with the desire to be him. "That following allowed him to create a ruse to be the fraudster we now know, and convicted fraudster." Watkin's victims included friend Hannah Jakes, who he admitted defrauding of £98,500, and Christine Colbert, owner of Dress Cheshire, who was defrauded of £43,800. He also defrauded his father, Jason Watkin, of £24,500. The court heard Mr Watkin was not repaid, but could see from social media his son was "spending lavishly on his lifestyle". Watkin also admitted fraud of more than £13,000 on James Irlam, who was told by Watkin he had a personal relationship with the director of Hermes and was able to source handbags. Andor Farkas, a barman at Harrods, was victim of a £14,000 fraud and had believed Watkin, a regular customer, was a millionaire, the court heard. Watkin also pleaded guilty to the £840 fraud of Naheem Akhtar, who had given Watkin the money for a pair of Lora Piana shoes which he never received. Opening the trial on Monday, Matthew Kerruish-Jones, prosecuting, said: "The defendant put forward the outward facade of a glamorous and luxurious lifestyle. "This, it seems, engendered trust and led a number of individuals to loan him large sums of money on the promise of either a financial return, or luxury items. Neither of which materialised." He said complainants would be left " out of pocket for large sums of money". 7 7 7 Kerruish-Jones added: "The defendant would make excuses and avoid the complainants, all the while spending large sums of money on maintaining his seemingly lavish lifestyle." Watkin was said to have told victims their money would be used to buy Hermes handbags, which were then to be sold on for a profit. The jury was told bag purchases from Hermes were only allowed to select registered customers and, because of their exclusivity, the bags often attracted a value far in excess of their original price when resold. Judge Berkson told Watkin: "You have today pleaded guilty to a number of charges of fraud. "Those charges are serious and involve a significant amount of loss to victims of your fraud. "There's no doubt only one sentence must follow from those guilty pleas." A further count of fraud and two counts of theft were ordered to lie on file. Watkin, of Alderley Edge, Cheshire, was convicted earlier this year of nine offences related to indecent images. He was remanded in custody ahead sentencing on September 3. 7
