Myanmar: Three Indian nationals trapped in cyber scam centres repatriated via Yangon
Yangon, Jan 2
Three Indian nationals were repatriated from Myanmar's Myawaddy cyber scam centres through Yangon, the Embassy of India in Yangon informed on Friday, following cooperation with Myanmar authorities and organisations.
"With cooperation from Myanmar authorities and organisations, 3 more Indian nationals from Myawaddy scam centres were repatriated via Yangon yesterday. So far, 2171 Indian nationals have been repatriated since July 2022 (1757 since July 2024). We strongly advise against such job offers," the Indian Embassy in Yangon posted on X.
Earlier on November 19, at least 125 Indian nationals were repatriated from Thailand's Mae Sot to India aboard a special Indian Air Force (IAF) flight.
The Indian nationals deported were detained in Mae Sot after they had entered Thailand from Myanmar's Myawaddy, where they were allegedly working in the cyber scam centres.
According to the Indian Embassy in Bangkok, this brought the total number of Indians released from scam centres in Myawaddy - and repatriated through Thailand, since March, to 1500.
As part of the Government of India's efforts to secure the repatriation of Indians entrapped in scam-centres in South-East Asia, the Embassy of India in Bangkok and the Consulate of India in Chiang Mai province in Thailand have worked in close coordination with various agencies of the Thai government and Tak Province to facilitate the repatriation of the Indian nationals.
"Indian nationals are strongly advised to verify the credentials of foreign employers and check the antecedents of recruiting agents and companies before taking up a job offer overseas. Further, visa-free entry into Thailand for Indian passport holders is meant for tourism and short business purposes only and should not be misused for taking up employment in Thailand," the Embassy of India in Bangkok posted on X.
Additionally, 269 Indian nationals, including 11 women, were repatriated a day earlier through Mae Sot by two special flights operated by the IAF.
The Indian Embassy in Bangkok and the Consulate of India in Chiang Mai, in coordination with various agencies of the Royal Thai Government and the administration of Tak Province, facilitated the repatriation process.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Heartbreaking to think about what these people must have gone through. Thank you to the officials working on the ground. But seriously, who are these agents luring people with false promises? They should be caught and punished severely.
The warning about misusing the Thailand visa-free entry is crucial. Many think they can just go and find work. It's not that simple and you end up in terrible situations like this. Please listen to the embassy advisories.
While the repatriation efforts are commendable, I have a respectful criticism. The scale of this problem suggests our system for verifying overseas job agencies within India needs a major overhaul. Prevention is better than rescue.
Desperation for jobs leads people to take these risks. We need to create better opportunities here so our youth don't feel compelled to trust shady agents offering "dream jobs" abroad. Jai Hind.
The IAF special flights operating for this... salute to our forces! 🇮🇳 It's good to see different branches of the government and our missions working together to bring our citizens home. This is what a nation should do.
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