Good evening. We all know that serious crimes are becoming more global, but the recent rescue of a 16-year-old Japanese high school student near the Thai-Myanmar border, allegedly from a scam operation, underscores how quickly this trend is growing.
Nikkei Asia has investigated scam syndicates in this region many times before, with most of the victims in those cases being Chinese. However, the victims now appear to be more diverse in both nationality and the nature of the scams. The Japanese boy, for instance, is said to have been forced to defraud elderly people in Japan by pretending to be a police officer.
The details are still unclear: How did he end up in Myanmar alone? How was he forced to engage in scam activities? The Thai military and police have identified him as the first Japanese "victim" of human trafficking in the country. However, according to Japanese news reports, there are other Japanese victims as well.
The fact that there are a number of Japanese victims involved in these activities suggests, of course, that there are many Japanese individuals orchestrating the crimes, too. According to reports from Japan, there are dozens of scam centers along the border, and more than 10,000 foreign nationals are said to be involved.
Thai authorities are intensifying their rescue operations, but the full extent of the criminal activity is still unclear. Our recent report suggests that repatriating the victims involves complex negotiations between Thailand, Myanmar and various stakeholders.
My suggested reads
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Through the lens
This week's top photo pick: Children sit inside kamakura, or snow huts, in Yokote, Akita prefecture, in northwestern Japan, on Feb. 14 ahead of an annual snow festival featuring snow shelters measuring 3.5 meters in diameter and 3 meters in height. (Photo by Kyodo)
Check out more of our photo coverage here.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Shin Nakayama
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