A Myanmar ethnic militia announced plans to deport 10,000 people linked to cyber scams from its territory to Thailand, part of a broader crackdown on illicit compounds.
Scam hubs have proliferated in Myanmar’s border regions, where trafficked foreign workers are coerced into global fraud operations, an industry analysts say generates billions.
“We are committed to eradicating scams from our soil and are now implementing it,” said Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) spokesman Major Naing Maung Zaw. He confirmed that a list has been compiled and deportations are set to proceed, with around 500 people transferred daily.
The BGF has already sent 61 individuals across a border bridge to Thailand and is preparing to hand over workers of various nationalities in phases. Thai media reported that authorities in Thailand’s Tak province have coordinated with the BGF to receive 7,000 scam compound workers.
On Friday, BGF soldiers conducted patrols at Shwe Kokko, a notorious scam hub in Myanmar’s eastern Myawaddy township, as part of an anti-trafficking operation.
Shwe Kokko, located in Karen state, is a heavily developed enclave standing out against surrounding farmland. Cyber scam operations lure job seekers with promises of lucrative employment, only to trap them in forced labor schemes where refusal means brutal punishment.
Source: DAWN
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
