61 foreigners from scam call-centres handed over to Thai authorities

Phumtham urges victims to share all information so as to help end such activities

Myanmar’s Border Guard Force (BGF) has handed over 61 foreign victims who were deceived into working for scam call-centres and human trafficking networks in Shwe Kokko, Myawaddy, Myanmar. 

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai received them at the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge 2 in Mae Sot, Tak province, on Thursday (Feb 6). They later underwent screening by the Immigration Bureau to determine whether they were trafficking victims and whether they had any connections to human trafficking networks.

Phumtham addressed the 61 victims, stating that they had sought help through Thailand and had now regained their freedom. He emphasised the importance of the screening and investigation process, as authorities needed to understand how they had entered the country, through which routes, how long they had been there, and the methods used to bring them in. He urged the victims to provide as much information as possible.

"Thailand is willing to accept all of you. We have coordinated with the embassies of your respective countries, and if no further issues arise following the screening, you will be repatriated," Phumtham said.

"Please be at ease and cooperate by sharing as much information as possible. Your insights will help put an end to these activities. Let others know about the conditions inside so that we can use this information effectively," he added.

After Phumtham concluded his remarks, the 61 foreign victims applauded and cheered in relief.

The victims included 39 Chinese nationals, 1 from Kazakhstan, 5 from Indonesia, 1 from Ethiopia, 1 from Pakistan, 1 from Malaysia, and 13 from India.

The handover was originally scheduled for January 29, coinciding with the visit of Liu Zhongyi, Assistant Minister of Public Security of China, to Mae Sot, Tak province. However, it was postponed as approval from the Myanmar government in Nay Pyi Taw was still pending.

On Thursday morning, Phumtham attended a meeting at the Tak Immigration Office to monitor and reinforce operations related to combating drug smuggling, human trafficking along border areas, and cracking down on call centre scams based in Myawaddy. The meeting was attended by officials from multiple agencies.

The meeting followed recent government measures, including cutting electricity supply to Myanmar’s border areas, banning fuel transportation across the border, and restricting internet services used by Myanmar-based networks that rely on Thai signals.

Regarding the impact of the power cuts, Phumtham stated that since the electricity supply was cut off only recently, it was too early to draw conclusions and that an assessment was still needed. However, he emphasised that the potential economic losses had already been considered before making the decision, as the issue at hand is much larger and affects the entire country. Moving forward, authorities will monitor whether call-center scam cases decrease, whether criminal networks face significant disruptions, and how many people leave the affected areas.

"I am aware that cutting off power has some economic impact, but choices had to be made. This decision was not made impulsively, we considered its effects on international relations, including Thailand-Myanmar and Thailand-China ties. We also took humanitarian concerns into account. The Provincial Electricity Authority reported a revenue loss of 600 million baht, which is just 1%. I urge everyone to take a broader view and recognise our efforts to address the issue fairly, as failing to act would have only made the situation more difficult," Phumtham said.

Regarding Myanmar’s purchase of electricity from Laos, Phumtham noted that Laos has the right to sell electricity, and Thailand has no authority to prevent such transactions.

"Laos has discussed the issue with me before, and they are also committed to solving the problem. They are even willing to seal their border to help. However, we have not yet reached the stage of deciding specific actions," he added.

(2025/02/06-00:00)