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Yomiuri Shimbun
24-04-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Thousands Allegedly Linked to Fraud Still Operating in Myanmar; 7,200 Foreigners Detained since Feb., Mostly Chinese
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Myawaddy of eastern Myanmar BANGKOK — About 7,200 foreigners from over 20 countries who had stayed at a base in Myanmar have been handed over to Thai authorities since February in connection with fraud cases. However, police are continuing their investigation as allegedly there are thousands of foreigners remaining in Myanmar, with the crimes still being perpetrated at neighboring locations. According to the Thai police, China had the most nationals handed over with 5,400, followed by 650 Indonesians and 580 Indians and some Japanese nationals. The Border Guard Force, an armed group effectively in control of the area where the base is located, is said to be one of the groups apprehending these foreigners before handing them over to Thai authorities. Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Center, said that several thousand foreigners, including Japanese, may at present be in eastern Myanmar, and that there are still some bases operating, at a press conference on Monday. Some traveled to the country after receiving fake job offers. Jay Kritiya, of the Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victims Assistance, said that some women are pregnant and others are complaining of poor health.
South China Morning Post
19-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
Up to 100,000 still work in Myanmar's scam hubs – and not all are victims, Thai police say
Despite a weeks-long multinational crackdown, scam centres along the Thai-Myanmar border are still operating with up to 100,000 people working there, according to the top police general leading Thailand 's operations against the fraud compounds. Advertisement Thailand is fronting a regional effort to dismantle scam centres along its borders, which are part of a Southeast Asian network of illegal facilities that generate billions of US dollars every year, often using people trafficked there by criminal gangs, according to the United Nations Based on early assessments of some of the 5,000 people pulled out of sprawling scam hubs in Myanmar 's Myawaddy area, hundreds went there voluntarily, said Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, calling for careful investigations among nationals of over a dozen countries to winnow out criminals. Thai Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, who leads Thailand's Anti-Human Trafficking Centre and Cyber Taskforce, reacts during an interview at police headquarters in Bangkok on Monday. Photo: Reuters 'Many people use Thailand as a pathway to sneak themselves into Myawaddy to find work, and this is not just the call centre gangs but also online gambling work and other professions,' Thatchai said in an interview. His comments run counter to widespread reports that scam centre workers in and around Myawaddy were victims, lured to go there by criminal bosses. Jason Tower, an analyst with the US Institute of Peace and an expert on regional scam centres, said that many people who willingly travelled to areas such as Myawaddy were trapped in conducting scamming operations. Advertisement 'Many did go in willingly, only discovering that they had been trafficked later,' he said. Several former scam workers describe being trapped in the compounds, where they were forced to trick strangers online into transferring large amounts of money, often pretending to be romantic interests.
Japan Times
18-03-2025
- Japan Times
Scam hubs on Thai-Myanmar border still have up to 100,000 people, Thai police says
Despite a weekslong multinational crackdown, scam centers along the Thai-Myanmar border are still operating with up to 100,000 people working there, the top police general leading Thailand's operations against the fraud compounds said. Thailand is fronting a regional effort to dismantle scam centers along its borders, which are part of a Southeast Asian network of illegal facilities that generate billions of dollars every year, often using people trafficked there by criminal gangs, according to the United Nations. Based on early assessments of some of the 5,000 people pulled out of sprawling scam hubs in Myanmar's Myawaddy area, hundreds went there voluntarily, said Police Gen. Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, calling for careful investigations among nationals of over a dozen countries to winnow out criminals. "Many people use Thailand as a pathway to sneak themselves into Myawaddy to find work, and this is not just the call center gangs but also online gambling work and other professions," Thatchai said in an interview. His comments run counter to widespread reports that scam center workers in and around Myawaddy were victims, lured to go there by criminal bosses. Jason Tower, an analyst with the U.S. Institute of Peace and an expert on regional scam centers, said that many people who willingly traveled to areas such as Myawaddy were trapped in conducting scamming operations. "Many did go in willingly, only discovering that they had been trafficked later," he said. Several former scam workers describe being trapped in the compounds, where they were forced to trick strangers online into transferring large amounts of money, often pretending to be romantic interests. Police Gen. Thatchai Pitaneelaboot | REUTERS Although these scam centers have operated for years, they came under renewed scrutiny following the abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing in Thailand in January, who was later rescued from Myawaddy. The incident sparked a social media firestorm in China, and Beijing dispatched officials to Thailand to coordinate operations targeted at breaking up scam hubs like Myawaddy and rescuing scores of its citizens, many of whom now have been flown home. "Since the Wang Xing case, there were 3,600 foreigners who traveled Mae Sot, and we did not find one who was tricked or coerced to come," Thatchai said, citing information gathered by police checkpoints set up in the Thai district bordering Myawaddy. Among some 260 people from 20 nationalities who were sent from Myawaddy to Thailand in February as the crackdown gathered steam, most were not coerced, according to initial investigations conducted by Thai authorities, Thatchai said. "These people went there voluntarily," Thatchai said, adding that he is waiting on information from countries including China and India that have repatriated hundreds of their nationals on whether they had been trafficked to scam centers in Myawaddy. Thatchai said the crackdown so far has only affected a fraction of the vast operations in Myawaddy, which lies across a narrow river from the Thai town of Mae Sot. "It could be up to 50,000 or 100,000 people that are still left because we are still seeing their operations," he said, based on Thai police intelligence as well as information gathered by Chinese authorities, who have identified at least 3,700 criminals continuing to operate in the area. Since February, more than 5,200 people have been extricated from scamming facilities in and around Myawaddy, according to Thai police citing Myanmar authorities. Over 3,500 have been sent back to their home countries via Thailand, which has also cut off electricity, internet and fuel supplies to the area. With scam workers hailing from a wide range of countries, Thatchai said he is pushing for a multinational coordination center to repatriate, investigate and share information to prosecute criminals involved in the fraud operations. Suspected criminals extricated from Myawaddy and other scam hubs should be prosecuted in their home countries, and the Thai police are ready to help wherever necessary, Thatchai said. The main focus of Thai authorities currently is to help coordinate the return of scam center victims to their home countries, with thousands of former workers still stuck in limbo on the Thai-Myanmar border, including some who are struggling to find their way back because of a lack of funds. "We have to discharge people as quickly as possible," Thatchai said. "So that the Myanmar authorities and ethnic armed groups can conduct more crackdowns."
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
Thailand arrests 100 people for operating in border scam centre
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's police on Wednesday detained 100 people for their alleged involvement in a scam centre in Cambodia, its first arrest of Thai nationals in a regional crackdown on massive fraud operations. Arrest warrants were also issued for two Chinese nationals who were alleged "gang leaders", stemming from a raid of a scam centre last month by Thai and Cambodian police in the Cambodian town of Poipet, Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot said. Scam centres have operated along Thailand's borders with neighbours Myanmar and Cambodia for years, but the high-profile abduction in Thailand of a Chinese actor who ended up in a Myanmar boiler room sparked a multinational effort to dismantle the network. He has since been returned home. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Criminal syndicates have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to work in sprawling compounds that use sophisticated techniques to trick people into transferring funds, generating illicit revenues running into billions of dollars each year, according to a United Nations report. In February, Myanmar sent over to Thailand the first group of 260 people taken out of scam centres. So far, about 7,000 people of more than 20 nationalities, mostly Chinese, have been extracted, with some struggling to return home. Most were victims of human trafficking, according to Thai authorities, who are coordinating repatriations. Police said the 100 arrested on Wednesday were part of the criminal gang running the operation. They were defrauding victims by impersonating government officials, said Thatchai, who estimated more than 1,000 Thais were still working across borders in scam centres. Police have said Thais have since 2022 been defrauded of about 80 billion baht ($2.37 billion) in telecoms scams. "These scam centres are transnational criminal organisations, being carried out by foreigners with Thais to defraud Thais," he said. This week, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ordered a study on the effectiveness of building a wall on part of its border with Cambodia to prevent illegal crossings and curb illicit activities. (Reportin Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Martin Petty)
Reuters
05-03-2025
- Reuters
Thailand arrests 100 people for operating in border scam centre
BANGKOK, March 5 (Reuters) - Thailand's police on Wednesday detained 100 people for their alleged involvement in a scam centre in Cambodia, its first arrest of Thai nationals in a regional crackdown on massive fraud operations. Arrest warrants were also issued for two Chinese nationals who were alleged "gang leaders", stemming from a raid of a scam centre last month by Thai and Cambodian police in the Cambodian town of Poipet, Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot said. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Scam centres have operated along Thailand's borders with neighbours Myanmar and Cambodia for years, but the high-profile abduction in Thailand of a Chinese actor who ended up in a Myanmar boiler room sparked a multinational effort to dismantle the network. He has since been returned home. Criminal syndicates have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to work in sprawling compounds that use sophisticated techniques to trick people into transferring funds, generating illicit revenues running into billions of dollars each year, according to a United Nations report. In February, Myanmar sent over to Thailand the first group of 260 people taken out of scam centres. So far, about 7,000 people of more than 20 nationalities, mostly Chinese, have been extracted, with some struggling to return home. Most were victims of human trafficking, according to Thai authorities, who are coordinating repatriations. Police said the 100 arrested on Wednesday were part of the criminal gang running the operation. They were defrauding victims by impersonating government officials, said Thatchai, who estimated more than 1,000 Thais were still working across borders in scam centres. Police have said Thais have since 2022 been defrauded of about 80 billion baht ($2.37 billion) in telecoms scams. "These scam centres are transnational criminal organisations, being carried out by foreigners with Thais to defraud Thais," he said. This week, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ordered a study on the effectiveness of building a wall on part of its border with Cambodia to prevent illegal crossings and curb illicit activities.
