7,000 People Await Freedom From Myanmar Scam Centers

TaiwanPlus News

Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says about 7,000 people are waiting to be released from notorious scam centers in Myanmar, in areas along the Thai-Myanmar border. The transnational fraud rings are believed to have swindled billions of dollars. They're suspected to be staffed by Chinese nationals.

Transcript

00:00Waiting to be repatriated, these people in the Myanmar border town Shrekoko were rescued

00:12from this suspected scam center, allegedly forced to work, deceiving people for their

00:18money and recruiting others to join the team.

00:21It's a transnational crime industry potentially worth billions of dollars.

00:27Many among the group are believed to be Chinese nationals and show signs of severe physical

00:32abuse.

00:33They are employers taken into custody by local militia.

00:43This, as Thailand renews a crackdown on scam compounds along its border with Myanmar.

01:05Earlier this month, Bangkok cut power and fuel to some border areas where fraud rings

01:11were known to operate.

01:13There are Chinese actor Wang Xing became one of thousands lured into Thailand and abducted

01:19into Myanmar on the promise of fake jobs, investments and even romance.

01:25News of the actor's kidnapping spread on Chinese social media, hurting Thailand's reputation

01:31among prospective travelers from China, its largest and most lucrative source of tourists.

01:37Thailand and China have been working together on repatriating Chinese people rescued.

01:42This included a visit by Liu Zhongyi, a top Chinese security official to both sides of

01:48the border.

01:49Thailand's prime minister says the cooperation is working.

02:05Last week, over 250 people held in Myanmar scam centers were released at the Thai border,

02:12including this man from Bangladesh, now sheltering in a Thai military camp.

02:17He says he was forced to defraud people using messaging apps like WhatsApp, with Chinese-speaking

02:23captors warning they could sell organs of those who don't.

02:28If a client gives money, not feeling well.

02:31If they don't give money, also not feeling well.

02:37I cannot explain the feeling.

02:39Like it's too much guilty, like shame on us.

02:43Seven Taiwanese nationals were also among those rescued.

02:47Five of them have now returned to Taiwan and are being investigated as to whether they

02:52willingly went to Myanmar and committed fraud.

02:56With scam centers rife across Southeast Asia, including in Cambodia and the Philippines,

03:02a larger battle looms to clean out cycles of deceit that have trapped hundreds of thousands

03:08of people for years.

03:10Kama Xu and Joyce Zen for Taiwan Plus.

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