Thailand receives 260 human trafficking victims from Myanmar

Abduction of Chinese actor pressures Thai government to crack down on scam centers

Multinational victims of scam centers, who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, carry their belongings and walk in line to get on army trucks after they were sent to Thailand, in Phop Phra District, Thailand, on Feb. 12. © Reuters

February 13, 2025 20:44 JST

BANGKOK (Reuters) -- Thailand has received 260 human trafficking victims, more than half of them Ethiopians, from Myanmar, its army said on Thursday, in a massive repatriation that comes amid a mounting crackdown on scam centers operating along a porous border.

Criminal gangs have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people and forced them to work in illegal online operations generating billions annually across Southeast Asia, especially along the Thai-Myanmar border, according to the United Nations.