1,000 scam workers rescued from Myanmar, including Indians: Why it matters

According to Myanmar's Ministry of Information, most of the victims are from Asian countries such as China and India, with some also from East Africa

Myanmar’s authorities have rescued about 1,030 foreign nationals, including Indian citizens, from online scam centres near the Thai border over the past three weeks, the country’s State Administration Council said on Monday. Most of the victims were from China and India, with some also from East Africa, according to Myanmar’s Ministry of Information.

 

The rescue operation comes amid growing concern in India over human trafficking linked to cybercrime operations in Southeast Asia.

 

In March 2024, reports emerged that about 5,000 Indians had been lured to Cambodia with fake job offers for data entry work. Around the same time, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), found links to China while investigating cyber fraud.

 

“On average, around 7,000 cyber-related complaints are registered daily on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), and most of these frauds originate from three Southeast Asian countries—Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos. Many web applications used in these crimes are written in Mandarin, so we cannot rule out a China connection,” said Rajesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, I4C in a press release.

 

In May 2024, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case alleging an international network was trafficking Indians to Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, where they were forced to work in scam centres controlled by Chinese operators.

 

The CBI’s first information report (FIR) detailed how job seekers were initially promised lucrative opportunities in Thailand, Dubai, and Bangkok, but once they arrived, they were transported to scam centres and coerced into cyber fraud.

 

Ordeal of the victims

 

One of the victims, Saddam Sheikh from Maharashtra’s Palghar district, was lured by a manpower consultancy firm in Delhi.

 

“Saddam had received WhatsApp calls from two people working with a south Delhi-based recruitment firm, offering him a job in Thailand. He visited their office, met the owner and an agent, who took Rs 1.4 lakh from him for a visa,” the FIR read.

 

His travel was arranged, and he flew to Bangkok on February 10, 2024. On arrival, another agent collected money from him and took him to Chiang Rai, from where he was transported to Laos. There, he was introduced to more agents—both Chinese and Indian—before being taken to the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone. He was then forced to work on social media profiles to defraud people in India, Canada, and the US through cryptocurrency investment scams.

 

Saddam managed to escape and returned to India on April 19. His case added to growing concerns about human trafficking linked to cyber fraud.

 

Indian government warns citizens

 

Following cases like Saddam’s, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an advisory on May 17, 2024, warning about fake job offers in Laos routed through Thailand.

 

“Instances have come to notice wherein Indian nationals are being lured for employment through Thailand in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) - also known as Laos. These fake jobs are for posts such as 'digital sales and marketing executives' or 'customer support service' by dubious companies,” the MEA said.

 

The ministry reminded job seekers that under the Emigration Act 1983, recruitment agents cannot charge more than Rs 30,000 plus 18% GST in service fees and must provide a proper receipt.

 

Earlier, in December 2023, the MEA had issued a separate advisory warning that unregistered agents were overcharging job seekers by Rs 2-5 lakh. Many fraudulent agents use platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to target individuals, making verification difficult.

 

“Such agents lure workers into jobs under harsh or life-threatening conditions. Cases have been reported in East European countries, some Gulf nations, Central Asia, Israel, Canada, Myanmar, and Laos,” the MEA said.

 

The ministry advised that legitimate job offers should include a signed employment contract detailing salary and benefits. “Tourist visas should never be used for employment. Genuine foreign employers usually cover airfare, accommodation, and insurance costs,” the advisory said.

 

Pressure on Myanmar from neighbouring countries

 

Myanmar’s military government has faced pressure from Thailand and China to act against scam centres. Raids were conducted in eastern Shan State and Shwe Kokko, an area controlled by the Kayin State Border Guard Force, a militia allied with Myanmar’s ruling junta. The group has said it will deport 10,000 foreign nationals working in scam centres in phases.

 

Online fraud operations have grown into a billion-dollar industry across Southeast Asia, with Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia emerging as key hubs. Many of these networks are believed to be run by Chinese fugitives who left China in 2020 after a domestic crackdown on cyber fraud. They have since relocated to areas in Myanmar where the military struggles to maintain control against armed rebel groups.

 

A 2023 report by the United Nations Human Rights Office estimated that about 220,000 people had been forced to work in online scams across Myanmar and Cambodia. The scams range from romance-investment fraud and cryptocurrency schemes to money laundering and illegal gambling. While most trafficked workers are men, women and adolescents have also been among the victims.

 

Human trafficking a growing pain for the govt

 

On February 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of human trafficking during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

 

He spoke about the need to dismantle the networks that lure ordinary people with false promises, leading them into illegal migration and exploitative jobs.

 

The Indian government has also held meetings with the Telecom Ministry, the Reserve Bank of India, and the CBI to address loopholes that enable such scams, particularly in banking and telecom sectors.

 

Meanwhile, over 200 Indians were deported from the United States recently after being caught in legal trouble. Many of them claimed they had been misled by agents who promised easy routes to the US but left them stranded in difficult conditions.

 

With cyber fraud and human trafficking continuing to pose serious challenges, authorities in India and other affected countries are pushing for tighter regulation and stronger enforcement to protect job seekers from falling prey to such scams.