A group of 283 Indian nationals, rescued from scam centres in Myawaddy township, were flown back to India yesterday on an Indian Air Force C17 military transport plane.
They had been transferred across the border from Myawaddy, via the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, into Mae Sot district of Thailand’s Tak province. They were then taken to the local airport and flown back to India.
Meanwhile 257 more Indian nationals are due to be repatriated on Tuesday through the same channel.
Altogether 540 Indians were found working in scam centres in Shwe Kokko and KK Park in Myanmar, but they were extracted by the Karen Border Guard Force and housed at a shelter in Myawaddy, while waiting for the Indian government to take them home.
The Thai government has determined that no non-Thais extracted from scam centres will be allowed to cross the border into Thailand unless their governments have arranged for aircraft to fly them home.
Last week, several hundred Chinese nationals were repatriated via Mae Sot airport. Most of them are believed to have entered Myanmar voluntarily, tempted by offers of attractive remuneration, to work as scammers.
