540 Indians trapped in Myanmar, Thailand scam call centers rescued
What's the story
A special flight brought back approximately 280 Indians who were rescued from cyberfraud operators in Thailand on Monday.
On Tuesday, another 270 Indians will return from Mae Sot, Thailand, aboard a second flight.
The process of repatriation will be similar to that of Chinese nationals ensnared in similar scams, said embassy officials and the Border Guard Force.
Scam details
Victims lured by fraudulent job offers
Most of the 540 stranded people were lured into accepting fake job offers and have been stranded at the Thai-Myanmar border for weeks.
K. Madhukar Reddy, a resident of Rangapeta village in Karimnagar, Telangana, who is now at the border, confirmed that embassy officials and the Border Guard Force have arranged a special aircraft to airlift them.
"We were told that we will be taken to Mae Sot, Thailand, after crossing the border tonight," he told The Times of India (TOI).
Repatriation procedure
Rescue operation process and challenges
As Indian nationals enter Thailand through the Mae Sot-Myawaddy permanent border checkpoint, they will be refused entry into Thailand, according to immigration protocols.
Thai officials will then transfer them to the Indian authorities at Mae Sot International Airport, from where they will take two flights home.
The stranded Indians, hailing from different states, have been detained for over two weeks, per TOI.
Conditions
Living conditions in detention centers
An Indian national in detention said living conditions at Myawaddy detention were decent, but food was insufficient.
"We just want to get out of these detention centers and return home," one victim told TOI.
However, the detainee said conditions near immigration at the border were much worse: over 500 people there didn't even have proper toilets or food.
Government action
India's efforts against international cybercrime syndicates
The Indian government has been working closely with Myanmar and Thailand to ensure the safe return of its nationals trapped in international cybercrime syndicates in the region.
The rescue mission is part of India's broader efforts to crack down on fraudulent employment networks that exploit Indian workers abroad.
In particular, the Golden Triangle Region in Southeast Asia, where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar's international boundaries converge, is a hotbed for cybercrime, including the operation of fraudulent call centers.