Hanoi (VNA) – More than 600 people fled one of Myanmar's most notorious scam centres and crossed into Thailand after a military raid on the compound, a Thai provincial official said on October 23.
Sawanit Suriyakul Na Ayutthaya, deputy governor of Tak province on the Myanmar border, told media that as of October 23 morning, a total of 677 people fled from the scam centre KK Park in Myanmar across the Moei river into Thailand.
Thai authorities have worked together to provide assistance under humanitarian procedures. They will undergo screening which will allow authorities to determine if individuals are victims of human trafficking, and if not, they may be prosecuted for illegal border crossing.
The Tak Provincial Administration office, which oversees the area, said in a statement that the group entering from Myanmar comprised "foreign nationals" - both men and women - and authorities expected more to cross into Thailand.
Complexes like KK Park, where cybercriminals operate online investment and romance scams, have flourished along the Myanmar border. A massive crackdown that began in February this year has helped repatriate about 7,000 workers and prompted Thailand to impose a cross-border internet blockade.
Although many are coerced or tricked into working at the heavily fenced scam centres, many join voluntarily, hoping to make more money in this illegal multi-billion dollar industry, experts say./.
