270 Indians freed from Myanmar’s cyber scam centres; investigators to probe recruitment trail

In one of India’s largest cross-border operations, 270 nationals trapped in Myanmar’s cyber slavery networks were flown home from Thailand, officials say the returnees will be questioned to map how transnational scam rackets lure Indians abroad.

In one of India’s most complex international rescue operations, 270 Indian nationals, including 26 women, were flown home from Thailand on Thursday after a dramatic escape from cyber scam compounds in Myawaddy, Myanmar, a region infamous for hosting organised transnational fraud networks.

The rescue, coordinated by Indian embassies in Thailand and Myanmar and executed with the Indian Air Force’s two special flights from Chiang Mai to Hindon, marks one of the largest single-day repatriations linked to cybercrime trafficking in Asia.

But the ordeal isn’t over for those rescued. Officials confirmed that the returnees will be questioned about their activities while employed in Myanmar’s scam centres, an effort aimed at understanding how these criminal operations recruit, function, and sustain cross-border networks.

“We want to know how it began”: India to probe cyber scam chain

“Indian citizens who worked in the cyberscam compounds of Myanmar will be questioned about their activities during their employment period,” official sources told The Hindu on Thursday.

The aim, sources said, is not punitive but preventive. “The idea behind the questioning is not just about finding out how these scam centres operate but also to find out how to prevent similar people from joining such transnational networks,” an official familiar with the process told The Hindu.

Investigating agencies will also examine possible Indian accomplices and recruiting agents who lured victims with fake job offers abroad, a pattern increasingly visible across Southeast Asia’s shadow digital economy.

What really happened inside Myanmar’s ‘cyber slavery’ hubs

Those rescued were among hundreds trapped in sophisticated cyber scam centres in Myawaddy, a frontier town run by criminal syndicates with Chinese links. Victims were coerced into carrying out 'pig-butchering' scams, large-scale online frauds blending crypto, romance, and investment scams targeting victims across the US, Europe, and India.

Workers faced inhumane conditions, including restricted movement, long work hours, and physical abuse if they failed to meet scam targets, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials.

The workers’ ordeal ended only after Myanmar’s military launched operations in late October to reclaim control over Myawaddy, forcing many scam operators to flee. The chaos allowed hundreds, including Indians, to escape across the Moei River into Thailand’s Mae Sot, where they sought refuge before India intervened.

Diplomatic coordination and the scale of the crisis

The rescue effort required coordination across multiple governments, including the Thai authorities, Interpol, and Indian diplomatic missions.

Operating in the Myawaddy region, which is controlled by ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) rather than Myanmar’s central government, has been logistically and politically complex. Despite repeated advisories by the MEA, recruitment scams continue to lure young Indians with promises of high-paying IT jobs in Thailand or Laos, only to be trafficked across borders.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had earlier revealed that around 500 Indian nationals were stranded in Thailand after fleeing Myawaddy following Myanmar’s military action.

“These individuals were employed in the K.K. Cyber crime hub, which is known to have conned thousands globally,” Charnvirakul said, calling the hubs a threat to Thailand’s economic stability and national credibility.

Embassy advisory: “Tourist visas are not for work”

The Indian embassy in Bangkok confirmed that while 270 nationals have been brought back, more remain stranded in Myanmar’s cybercrime sector.

“Indian embassies in Thailand and Myanmar are working with the respective host governments to secure repatriation of those Indians who were allegedly involved in scamming activities and are still in Myanmar,” the embassy said in a statement on November 6.

It also issued a strong advisory urging Indian citizens to verify foreign job offers and recruitment agents before accepting employment overseas.

Further, the embassy reminded travellers that visa-free entry into Thailand is meant only for tourism or short business visits, and “should not be misused for taking up employment.”