China has started repatriating over 1,000 of its nationals who were involved in online scam operations in eastern Myanmar. The workers were recently rescued and transferred across the border into Thailand before being flown back to China on chartered flights.
Authorities from Thailand, China, and Myanmar have been collaborating for weeks to dismantle these scam centres, which have defrauded people globally of billions through fraudulent investment schemes, fake romantic relationships, and illegal gambling activities, AP reports.
It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of individuals, including many who were misled into accepting jobs under false pretences, have been exploited in similar operations across Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.
Thai officials recently said that up to 10,000 individuals may be repatriated from Myanmar as part of the crackdown on these scam networks. To manage the large number of Chinese nationals—so far estimated at 1,041—Thailand has delegated most of the processing and investigations to Chinese authorities.
On Thursday, officials reported that groups of 50 workers were being escorted across a bridge from Myanmar’s Myawaddy to Mae Sot in Thailand.
Upon arrival, they underwent biometric scans before being transported by bus to Mae Sot’s airport. There, China Southern Airlines flights departed for Jinghong, located in Yunnan province, as confirmed by flight tracking data.
China's Xi and Thailand's leader vow to crack down on scam networks that plague Southeast Asia
Thailand is also coordinating the evacuation and processing of scam centre workers from other countries. Last week, approximately 260 individuals from 20 nations—many from Africa—were transferred from Myanmar into Thai custody. Thai PBS reported that the repatriation of non-Chinese workers will commence on Sunday.
During her recent visit to Beijing, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra assured Chinese President Xi Jinping that her country would intensify efforts to shut down scam networks. Just before her visit, Thai authorities cut off essential services such as electricity, internet, and gas to scam centre locations along the Myanmar border, citing national security concerns and the negative impact on Thailand’s reputation.