1-9-2023 (SINGAPORE) A recent report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has shed light on a disturbing trend in human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Criminal gangs are trafficking highly educated individuals, including those from Singapore, to work in scam and illegal gambling centers. These victims, often well-educated and computer-literate, are used to trick scam victims more effectively.
The report reveals that the surge in illegal gambling operations in Southeast Asia began in 2014, with scam operations sharply increasing since 2016. The Covid-19 pandemic created fertile ground for scams, with many people spending more time online due to lockdowns.
As the region reopened in 2021, traffickers capitalized on jobless individuals desperate for work. Promising stable overseas jobs, traffickers arranged for victims to travel to countries like Thailand and Myanmar before smuggling them across borders to Laos and Cambodia, where they were forced to work in scam centers. Victims had their passports confiscated, and escape attempts often led to beatings.
In June, four Singaporeans were rescued from a compound in Manila, Philippines, where they were forced into running love and cryptocurrency scams. The Philippine police rescued nearly 3,000 suspected trafficking victims, many of whom had been promised legitimate jobs before being exploited.
Scam syndicates have also proliferated in Cambodia, with authorities rescuing 17 foreign nationals from compounds since January. Singapore has not been immune to this issue; ten foreign nationals were recently charged in connection with a billion-dollar money laundering case linked to scams and online gambling.
The OHCHR report highlights a shift in trafficking victims’ profiles. While cases used to involve individuals with lower educational qualifications and low-wage jobs, now victims include well-educated, computer-literate, and multilingual individuals who can deceive scam victims more effectively. The majority of victims are men, although women and young people are also affected.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized the need for a non-punishment principle for trafficking victims, stating that they should not be prosecuted for immigration offenses, money laundering, or conspiracy to commit organized crime. The report underscores that these victims, though involved in scams, acted under the threat of violence and abuse, many subjected to torture and sexual violence.
The report’s findings highlight the urgent need to address human trafficking in Southeast Asia and protect the rights and dignity of its victims.
