Third batch of Indians rescued from scam centres to be airlifted from Myanmar by April 15

Cyber crime

A third batch of around 250 Indians rescued from scam call centres in Thailand and other countries would be airlifted back to the country by April 15, sources have told Moneycontrol.

In the last month, the government has flown home more than 500 Indians lured to various Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos with fake job offers and then “sold” to engage in cybercrime and other fraudulent activities in scam compounds.

"A third Indian Air Force (IAF) flight carrying around 250 rescued Indian nationals will be operated from Mae Sot before April 15," a ministry of external affairs (MEA) official told Moneycontrol, referring to the Thai town that borders Myanmar and had emerged as a hub for repatriation flights.

“Indian agencies are still working with concerned authorities on final approvals to fly back innocent citizens.”

Cyber slaves

The government swung into action after a UN reported flagged the scale of these scam centres where thousand of people from across the world are forced into cybercrime and subjected to abuse.

The ministry is working with the Indian embassies in Myanmar and Thailand and the governments of these countries to secure the release and repatriation of around 2,000 Indians over the next few months, another official said.

Around 540 rescued Indians were brought home on two Indian Air Force (IAF) flights on March 10 and 12.

Seventy of them were rescued from KK Park from the cybercrime hub of Myawaddy by Myanmar's Border Guard Forces and relocated to Mae Sot.

Another 140 were rescued from Myawaddy, a lawless region of Myanmar near the Thailand border controlled by militant groups engaged in an armed struggle with the junta, with the Indian government facilitating their repatriation.

The external affairs ministry and the IAF are yet to respond to Moneycontrol’s queries. The copy will be updated when the response comes in.

Around 2,000 Indians are said to be involved in cyber scam operations in Myawaddy alone.

They were lured with fake job offers and sold to fake call centres involved in cyber fraud in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

"Most Indian employed in these cyber scams come from underprivileged, under-educated households and were sold dream jobs. Subsequently, they were made to indulge in cybercrime and engage in other fraudulent activities in scam centres operating in regions along the Myanmar-Thailand border," the second ministry official said.

While consular officials are working to evacuate Indian citizens, the embassy has warned that those willingly participating in these scams are not victims but criminals.

Indian authorities on several occasions have urged job-seekers to verify employment offers from these countries, warning those involved in scams face legal consequences.

Cyberscam industrial complex

According to a report released by the United States Institute of Peace in May 2024, the annual returns from cyberscams are estimated at $12.5 billion in Cambodia, $15.3 billion in Myanmar, and $10.9 billion in Laos – nearly 40 percent of the combined GDP of the three countries.

Myawaddy has emerged as a notorious hub for cybercrime where workers are coerced into participating in online frauds.

Many victims have no means of escape unless they pay large ransoms. With the region controlled by warlords and militant groups, efforts to intervene have been complicated, though Indian consular officials are working to evacuate those who have sought help.

Around 7,000 people from at least 24 countries have been released in recent weeks from online scam centres operating in the lawless regions of Myanmar along the Thai border.

Under pressure from China  —  where most of the freed workers come from — Myanmar’s authorities have clamped down on the scam compounds, which are part of a growing, criminal multi-billion-dollar industry.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes estimates that in Asia alone between $18 billion and $37 billion were lost to such scams in 2023.

The UN estimates that 120,000 people may be working in Myanmar scam centres against their will. Many of the workers, who come from all over the world, claim that they were subjected to beatings and other forms of abuse if they refused to work.