Myanmar's government has rescued around 7,000 individuals from illegal call centre operations and is preparing for the transfer of up to 10,000 more to Thailand. This crackdown is part of broader efforts against online scam operations prevalent in Myanmar and neighboring countries. These scams, which include romance schemes and illegal gambling, have ensnared victims globally, especially from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The UN has reported alarming figures, indicating around 220,000 people are potentially held under coercive conditions to conduct these scams.
"It's massive and there are thousands of people in there that have been brought in, typically through Thailand, so it's a huge move if they clean the compounds and scams out," said Jeremy Douglas, from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The operations have become increasingly globalised, with victims from across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East tricked into enslaved work, resulting in financial losses between $18bn and $37bn in 2023, according to UN estimates.
At least 120,000 people across Myanmar and another 100,000 in Cambodia may be held in situations where they are forced to execute lucrative online scams, the UN has reported.
Myanmar's border area of Myawaddy... has among the largest single cluster of scam compounds in the region, and possibly the world, said Douglas.
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