(CLO) A China-led crackdown on online fraud has rescued thousands of people from Myanmar this month, but large-scale fraud networks continue to expand.
In Mae Sot, a Thai-Myanmar border town, hundreds of people have been repatriated to China after becoming trapped in “online scam factories” that use forced labor to swindle billions of dollars from victims worldwide.
The rescue operation, coordinated by Thailand, Myanmar and China, is seen as a major blow to the criminal industry.
A scam center in Myanmar seen from the Thai border in February. (Photo: GI/NYT)
But even as the flights carrying the rescued people left, the scam centers near the border continued to expand. Workers continued to build new buildings, while the imprisoned scammers continued to scam money from victims in the United States, China, and elsewhere.
After the 2021 coup, Myanmar's border became a lawless hotspot where Chinese criminal organizations cooperated with local factions to turn the forest into a "scam city".
People are lured here with promises of high-paying jobs, but are instead forced to participate in scams such as cryptocurrency scams, dating scams, online shopping scams, and fake investments. They are imprisoned, tortured with whips, electric shocks, tied up for hours, or forced to crawl on gravel until they bleed.
China’s Foreign Ministry says it is working closely with other countries to crack down on online gambling and fraud, saying several gangs have been busted and a number of suspects arrested.
However, according to people who have worked in the scam centers, as well as related officials, this statement is too early. Thousands of people have been rescued, but tens of thousands of others are still detained.
“Business is still going on as usual,” said a Myanmar national who worked at a fraud center. More importantly, none of the key figures running the criminal network have been arrested.
“Ending human trafficking and online fraud requires more than crackdowns,” said Saw Kapi, director of the Salween Institute for Public Policy. “It must address the root causes: poor governance, corruption, and the links between organized crime and political and economic interests.”
Even as Thai police tightened border controls, human trafficking continued. Traffickers took advantage of the dry season, when river levels were low, to smuggle people across the border.
Ha Trang (according to NYT, Bangkok Post)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cac-nha-may-lua-dao-o-myanmar-van-tiep-tuc-mo-rong-post336593.html
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