India repatriates 197 more citizens who escaped Myanmar’s cyber scam centres

NEW new delhi: bharat on mon repatriated 197 citizens who fled to kingdom of thailand from a notorious cyber cozenage centre in Myanmar, taking the total number of people brought back since last week to 467.The Indian citizens were repatriated from the Thai border town of Mae Sot by two special flights operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Indian embassy in Bangkok said in a post on X.India last week began working with Thai authorities to repatriate its citizens who fled to Mae Sot from the Chinese-backed KK Park, a notorious cyber scam centre in Myawaddy township, following a crackdown by Myanmar’s military.Indian ambassador Nagesh Singh met Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul when he visited Mae Sot on Monday afternoon to oversee the repatriation operation. Anutin conveyed Thailand’s deep appreciation for the Indian government’s efforts for the “prompt repatriation of the detainees from Mae Sot, and assured of continued cooperation from Thai authorities in facilitating repatriation of Indian nationals released from scam centres in Myanmar”, the Indian embassy said.“Both sides reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to combating trans-national crimes, including cyber scams and human trafficking in the region, and to enhance cooperation among the relevant agencies in both countries for this purpose,” the embassy said.The Indian nationals deported on Monday were detained in Mae Sot after they crossed into Thailand from Myawaddy in Myanmar, where they were allegedly working in cyber-scam centres. They were detained by Thai authorities for violating the country’s immigration laws by illegally entering Thailand.The Indian embassy in Bangkok and the consulate in Chiang Mai coordinated with various Thai government agencies to facilitate the repatriation of Indians.“Indian nationals are strongly advised to verify the credentials of foreign employers, and check the antecedents of recruiting agents and companies before taking up job offers overseas,” the embassy said. “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.”There were 26 women among the 270 Indian nationals repatriated from Mae Sot on Thursday on two special flights operated by the IAF.According to recent reports in the Thai media, more than 450 Indians illegally crossed the border while fleeing the scam centres in Myanmar late last month.The Indian nationals who have been repatriated include both victims lured to scam centres with promises of lucrative jobs and some people allegedly involved in running the scams, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity.All returning Indian nationals will be questioned by investigative agencies to identify those allegedly involved in the scams and to determine how they reached KK Park in Myanmar.A total of 1,595 individuals, including 256 women, have crossed into Thailand from KK Park, with the largest group comprising Indians, according to the Thai media.Myanmar’s sprawling KK Park was a notorious compound where several Chinese criminal gangs operated transnational cyber scams. The compound was guarded by local militia groups with links to Myanmar’s military commanders.In March this year, India brought back 549 nationals freed from cybercrime centres along the Myanmar-Thailand border in two flights operated by military aircraft.