MAE SOT, Thailand: India has begun flying home the first group of its citizens who escaped a Myanmar cyberscam center and crossed into Thailand last month. The repatriation operation started on Thursday, with officials confirming that additional groups will follow in the coming days.
The workers were trapped in KK Park, a notorious cybercrime hub near Myawaddy, which was raided by Myanmar’s military in mid-October as part of a crackdown on online fraud and illegal gambling networks operating along the border.
First Batch of 270 Indians Flown Home
Maj. Gen. Maitree Chupreecha of Thailand’s Naresuan Task Force said an Indian Air Force aircraft departed Mae Sot on Thursday carrying the first batch of evacuees.
A total of 270 out of 465 Indians scheduled for repatriation are being flown out immediately, with the remaining group expected to depart Thailand next Monday.
This marks India’s second large-scale rescue this year. In March, authorities repatriated 549 nationals after earlier operations targeted cybercrime centers along the Myanmar–Thailand border.
Over 1,500 Workers From 28 Countries Escaped KK Park
The Indians are among more than 1,500 foreign nationals from 28 countries—including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Ethiopia and Kenya—who fled after Myanmar forces raided KK Park.
Thai authorities in Mae Sot have established temporary facilities to process the influx of displaced workers.
A report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime earlier this year estimated that industrial-scale scam compounds across Southeast Asia generate nearly $40 billion in profits annually.
Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos are considered the global epicenter of cyberscam operations, where hundreds of thousands are trafficked or coerced into online fraud schemes involving romance scams, fake investments, and illegal gambling.
Ongoing Crackdown Amid Reports of Continued Criminal Activity
Myanmar state media said the KK Park raid was part of broader operations aimed at dismantling cross-border online scam networks.
Witnesses and Thai military personnel reported explosions that destroyed parts of the KK Park compound following the raid.
However, independent outlets such as The Irrawaddy report that organized scam operations continue to function in the Myawaddy region, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the crackdown.
Global Spotlight on Southeast Asian Cybercrime Networks
International pressure on Southeast Asia’s cybercrime industry has increased.
Last month, the U.S. and U.K. imposed sanctions on leaders of a major Cambodian scam syndicate, with the accused ringleader indicted in a U.S. federal court.
In South Korea, national outrage erupted after a young man allegedly lured into a Cambodian cyberscam compound was found dead, drawing further attention to the human trafficking crisis linked to these scam networks.
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