6-4-2024 (BANGKOK) Three Thai victims have come forward, revealing the harrowing circumstances they endured while working for a call-scamming gang operated by Chinese syndicates in Cambodia. According to their testimonies, the victims were compelled to make a minimum of 500 phone calls per day or face the threat of physical abuse or forced prostitution. These shocking revelations shed light on the coercion and exploitation faced by vulnerable individuals who were enticed into working for the criminal organization after being repatriated to Thailand.
The commendable rescue operation, which took place on March 29, was a collaborative effort between Thai authorities, including the Northeast’s Social Development and Human Security Volunteers (SDHSV), and their Cambodian counterparts. The successful mission was initiated after the victims’ relatives lodged a police complaint, seeking intervention to rescue their loved ones.
The three cousins, aged between 14 and 25, were reported missing from their residence in Khon Buri district of Nakhon Ratchasima on February 28. Their subsequent ordeal unfolded as they recounted their experiences to the SDHSV. The victims revealed that they had initially responded to a recruitment advertisement for an online gambling website, enticed by the promise of a monthly salary of 25,000 baht. The job involved assisting members through the Line application.
After making contact with the employer through a broker, the victims were directed to travel to Sa Kaeo Province, from where they were led into Cambodia via an informal border crossing. Upon reaching the designated work location, they were instructed to undergo a typing test while under the watchful eye of a Chinese employer. Failing the test proved to be a grave mistake, as it resulted in their relocation to a five-story building teeming with approximately one hundred Thai nationals who had been coerced into operating as call centre scammers.
The victims revealed that their assigned task involved contacting unsuspecting Thai individuals, assuming the guise of police officers, and extracting their personal information. Subsequently, the calls would be transferred to other scammers. Each victim was required to make an astonishing 500 to 700 phone calls per day and successfully obtain the private details of at least three or four victims. Failure to meet these quotas would result in severe consequences, including being sold into prostitution, physical abuse, or even death, as alleged by the victims.
The victims described the building as a confined space with restricted freedom. Attempting to escape the premises would be met with severe punishment, including brutal beatings with baseball bats, they claimed. However, one of the victims managed to outsmart the criminals by feigning an intention to recruit friends to join their ranks. She utilized this opportunity to secretly contact her family for assistance, ultimately leading to the successful rescue operation.
Chairman Khamphong Teerat of the SDHSV expressed his appreciation for the collaborative efforts of Thai and Cambodian authorities in rescuing the victims from the clutches of human trafficking. He emphasized the need to raise awareness about the dangers associated with accepting such job offers, urging potential victims to exercise caution and avoid falling prey to criminal organizations.
As the investigation continues, law enforcement agencies are determined to uncover the full extent of the call-scamming network and bring the perpetrators to justice. The victims, though relieved to be rescued from their ordeal, consider themselves fortunate and hope that their story will serve as a cautionary tale to others who may be considering similar job opportunities, warning them of the devastating consequences that await those who become entangled in such criminal enterprises.
