4-9-2023 (BANGKOK) The Immigration Bureau (IB) in Thailand has apprehended at least 20 Chinese nationals who were smuggled into the country via Cambodia in recent months while en route to Myanmar to work for call-centre gangs.
Upon questioning, it was revealed that these individuals were employed by Chinese-operated criminal groups and were in the process of relocating their operations to Myanmar.
Immigration Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Pakphumpipat Sajjaphan, along with his deputy Pol Maj Gen Phanthana Nutchanart, confirmed on Monday that Chinese operators were moving their compatriots as well as Thai nationals to Myanmar due to increased crackdowns in Cambodia.
Between March and August, authorities arrested five Thai nationals and 20 Chinese nationals in several provinces, including Mukdahan, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Ayutthaya, and Nong Khai. All of these individuals were en route to the Mae Sot district of Tak province, which shares a border with Myanmar.
Three of the Chinese nationals apprehended in Kalasin informed the police that they had been deceived into working in Myanmar. Their journey involved passing through Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, as stated by Pol Lt Gen Pakphumpipat.
As law enforcement authorities in Thailand began to crack down on these activities, call-centre operators altered their routes to avoid Thai territory, realizing they were under surveillance.
Pol Maj Gen Phanthana pointed out that some victims were initially recruited as interpreters or bar workers but ended up working for call-centre gangs, while others were fully aware of the illegal nature of their employment.
He highlighted that crackdowns in Cambodia have prompted these criminal groups to shift their operations to Laos and Myanmar. Pol Maj Gen Phanthana stated that the IB had been collaborating with the Highway Police, Police Cyber Task Force, and Anti-Human Trafficking Centre to address this issue.
He also noted that the smuggling of Chinese nationals and individuals from Southeast Asia by these criminal gangs to work in illegal enterprises remains an ongoing problem. While over 100 call-centre workers used to be arrested daily, this number has recently dropped to just a few dozen.
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