Human Trafficking Victims Feed Scam Operations

By Lexi Dean

The proliferation of scam operations and illegal cyber-ploys across Southeast Asia gave rise to a wave of concern back in 2023. This concern led to crackdowns on these operations, which have continued this week, as Thailand received over 250 victims of human trafficking from a Myanma militia who freed workers from scam centers along the border. Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos are recognized as sanctuaries for criminal organizations who lure people in with good salaries or the promise of alternative work to force them to operate cyber scams, investment schemes, and illegal gambling. These recruiters look for candidates skilled in English or Chinese, which are languages targeted for cyber fraud. Criminal groups have trafficked hundreds of thousands of workers to generate tens of billions of dollars from around the world. While these illegal operations have been in action for years, Thai authorities continue to make growing efforts to address this issue amidst growing numbers of abductions and trafficking.

The workers brought into Thailand span twenty different nationalities, with the majority Ethiopian. Thailand plans to question these victims to confirm they had been trafficked before they enter into a period of protection processes awaiting repatriation to their respective countries. After a meeting in China this month, the Prime Minister of Thailand and Xi Jinping vowed to make emergent efforts to attack and shut down scam networks throughout the region, especially along the Myanmar border. Likewise, Beijing’s Vice Minister of Public Security and Commissioner of its Criminal Investigation Bureau visited Thailand last month to inspect the border areas to aid efforts in stopping these operations. Specifically, Thailand has cut power and fuel access to parts of Myanmar known to harbor illegal compounds. Further, Thailand has worked to enact stricter banking rules and visa regulations to prevent criminal operators from using Thailand as a middle-man to move money and workers for their illegal scams. As these scams continue affecting people, global businesses, and the tourism industry, the Thai government faces pressures to act.