Eleven Bangladeshis who had been held in a cyber scam centre in Myanmar’s Karen state have been rescued by a local armed group.
The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), which controls the area, freed the victims in the early hours of Sunday.
The scam centre was reportedly operated by Chinese criminal syndicates.
Jonayed Hossain Parvez, a 28-year-old Bangladeshi who escaped from the same facility in October last year, confirmed the rescue to English newspaper Daily Sun from Thailand.
“The DKBA has rescued them and has kept them in their camp. We are eagerly waiting for their return via Thailand,” he said over the phone.
The rescued individuals have been identified as Simon Hosen Abir, Uzzal Hossain, Tanbir Akhand Rafi, Shah Alam, Tuanoor Khalilullah, Omar Faruque, Ismail Hossain, Mehdi Hasan Shanto, Rashedul Islam Rifat, Kaisar Hossain, and Alif Imran.
Jonayed said earlier rescue attempts had failed due to a lack of precise information on their whereabouts.
“I learnt of their latest location from another victim who was rescued a few days ago, and then I contacted the DKBA through local journalists in Thailand,” he explained.
In January, Bangladeshi police arrested a broker from Cumilla, accused of luring Jonayed and three of his friends, later selling them to the scam centre in Myanmar via Thailand.
Mostafizur Rahman, an assistant superintendent at the Criminal Investigation Department’s Human Trafficking Unit, said two other victims had previously been rescued and repatriated.
“We have contacted officials at the Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok. They are working to bring the rescued victims home as soon as possible,” he said.
On February 12, the DKBA handed over 260 foreign victims of human trafficking—who had been forced to work in Myanmar- to Thai security officials in the Phop Phra district of Thailand’s Tak province.
bd-pratidin/GR
