270 Indians rescued from Myanmar cyber scam centers repatriated
What's the story
In a major international rescue operation, 270 Indian nationals were repatriated from Thailand on Thursday. The operation was launched after they escaped from cyber scam centers in Myawaddy, Myanmar. The rescue mission, which included 26 women, was coordinated by Indian embassies in Thailand and Myanmar with help from the Indian Air Force. Two special flights were flown from Chiang Mai to Hindon for this purpose.
Investigation underway
Returnees to be interrogated on roles in scam centers
The returnees will be interrogated about their roles in the scam centers, officials said. The aim of this questioning is to understand how these criminal networks operate and recruit victims. "Indian citizens who worked in the cyberscam compounds of Myanmar will be questioned about their activities during their employment period," official sources told The Hindu on Thursday. It is also to find out "how to prevent similar people from joining such transnational networks," an official told the paper.
Scam operations
Victims subjected to inhumane conditions, forced into online frauds
The cyber scam centers in Myawaddy are run by criminal syndicates with Chinese links. Victims were forced to carry out large-scale online frauds, known as "pig-butchering" scams, which combine crypto, romance, and investment scams. These scams target victims across the United States, Europe, and India. Workers at these centers have been subjected to inhumane conditions such as restricted movement and physical abuse for failing to meet scam targets, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials.
Repatriation efforts
How they escapedÂ
The torture didn't stop until Myanmar's Junta sent troops to take back control of Myawaddy in late October, which forced many scam operators to run away. Amid the chaos, hundreds fled across the Moei River to Thailand's Mae Sot, where they found safety until India intervened. The Indian embassy in Bangkok has since advised citizens to verify job offers before accepting employment overseas. The embassy also said that visa-free entry into Thailand "should not be misused for taking up employment."