Thailand rescues 260 trafficked workers from Myanmar scam centres

Thailand’s military announced that 260 individuals, believed to have been trafficked and forced to work in online scam centers, will be repatriated after being rescued from Myanmar. This operation is part of a renewed crackdown on scam centers operating across Southeast Asia.

A video from the Thai army showed a boat carrying the rescued individuals arriving in Tak province, located on Thailand’s border with Myanmar, on Thursday. Thai media reports indicated that the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, a Myanmar ethnic militia controlling the area where the workers were held, played a key role in their liberation and transport to the border.

Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos—countries sharing borders with Thailand—have become notorious for harboring criminal syndicates. These groups are believed to have forced hundreds of thousands of people into participating in various online scams, including fake romantic schemes, fraudulent investment opportunities, and illegal gambling operations.