India to repatriate citizens detained in Thailand after Myanmar cybercrime raid: MEA

New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): India is working closely with Thai authorities to repatriate Indian nationals detained in Thailand after fleeing a military raid on a cybercrime hub in Myanmar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

In response to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are aware of Indian nationals who have been detained by Thai authorities. They had crossed into Thailand from Myanmar over the past few days. Our Mission in Thailand is working closely with Thai authorities to verify their nationality and to repatriate them, after necessary legal formalities are completed in Thailand."

According to the Bangkok Post, several Indian nationals crossed into Thailand following a raid by the Myanmar military on the KK Park compound, a site notorious for running international cyber scams. The military operation forced hundreds of foreign workers at the compound to flee across the border into the Thai town of Mae Sot.

Thai authorities said that as of Friday morning, 1,667 people from at least 10 countries, including India, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, had entered Thailand after the raid, according to the Bangkok Post.

This is not the first such incident. Earlier this year, India had repatriated several citizens trapped in scam centres along the Thai-Myanmar border after coordinated regional crackdowns.

KK Park, located in Myanmar's Myawaddy region, is well known among global law enforcement agencies for running large-scale online fraud operations. Reports suggest the compound and nearby facilities are controlled by Chinese criminal syndicates and supported by local armed groups allied with Myanmar's military.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, border areas across Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia have become hotspots for cyber fraud and human trafficking. The United Nations has said billions of dollars have been made through forced labour and scam operations in these areas, with thousands of people exploited by organised criminal networks. (ANI)

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