Following numerous delays, 61 foreigners, of various nationalities, who were duped into going to Myanmar and then forced to work in scam call centres were transferred to Thailand yesterday by the Border Guard Force of the ethnic Karen army.
They include 39 Chinese nationals, 13 Indian nationals, five Indonesian nationals and one each from Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Malaysian.
They were officially received by Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs Phumtham Wechayachai at the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sot district of Tak province.
Phumtham was in Mae Sot district today to inspect the area opposite the location in Myawaddy township where electricity supply from Thailand was cut yesterday.
He also held discussions with local officials about the cutting of electricity, petrol and internet connections to five locations in three Myanmar border townships.
All of the people transferred today were interviewed and screened by Thai authorities, to determine whether they were victims of human trafficking or were voluntarily involved with the scam call centres in Myanmar. They will now be repatriated.
Meanwhile, in the Three Pagodas Pass in Kanchanaburi province, local officials and officials from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) found a house, near the Myanmar border, with its internet cable connected to a house in Myanmar’s Payathonzu township.
The Thai house’s owner claimed that his neighbour, just across the border, asked him for an internet connection for his children.
Thai officials seized the connection equipment and will investigate whether the connection was used for illegal activities.
