Thailand, China and Myanmar have coordinated efforts over the past month to shut down the scam centers that bilked victims around the world out of billions of dollars.
China has repatriated over 1,000 Chinese nationals who were working at online scam centers in eastern Myanmar. These individuals were rescued and transported across the border to Thailand, where they were processed and flown back to China. Thailand, China, and Myanmar have coordinated efforts over the past month to shut down the scam centers, which defrauded victims worldwide through schemes like false romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches, and illegal gambling. Many of the workers at these centers were recruited under false pretenses and found themselves trapped in virtual slavery.
Thailand has allowed China to handle most of the processing and investigations for the repatriated Chinese nationals. Thai officials reported that as many as 10,000 people may be repatriated from Myanmar from the online scam centers. Earlier this month, Thailand cut off electricity, internet, and gas supplies to several areas in Myanmar hosting scam centers, citing national security concerns. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra assured Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing that Thailand would crack down on scam networks.
The repatriation process involved transporting workers in batches from Myanmar to Thailand, where they were processed and flown to China. Thai authorities are also overseeing the evacuation and processing of scam center workers from other nations, with plans to begin repatriating non-Chinese workers from Sunday. The Border Guard Force in Myawaddy, a militia group controlling the area, has organized the repatriation but has been accused of involvement in the criminal activities by providing protection to the scam centers.
This recent operation follows a crackdown on scam centers in Myanmar in late 2023, which China had previously expressed concern over due to their location near its border.
