Some 465 Indians who escaped from the notorious KK Park cybercrime center in Myanmar are being repatriated to India through Thailand. These individuals are part of a larger group that has been rescued following a significant crackdown on cybercrime operations.
India recently received the first batch of hundreds of its citizens who had fled to Thailand from a scam center based in Myanmar in October. The KK Park center, located on the outskirts of the border city of Myawaddy, was a major hub for cybercrime activities before it was raided by Myanmar’s army in mid-October. This operation forced over 1,500 people from 28 different countries to flee to the Thai border town of Mae Sot, as reported by local Thai authorities.
Among these individuals, 465 were holding Indian passports. Other nationalities represented include Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Ethiopians, and Kenyans.
According to Thai Major General Maitree Chupreecha, an Indian air force transport plane departed Thailand on Thursday carrying 270 people. The remaining individuals are expected to be flown to India on Monday. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the repatriation process via a text message.
An epicenter of online scams
Southeast Asia has become a global hotspot for digital scam operations, with hundreds of thousands of people lured into countries like Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia under the guise of job opportunities. In early 2024, foot-care investigated the KK Park compound and revealed how individuals trapped there were coerced into committing online scams through threats of torture and even murder.
foot-care’s investigative unit traveled to the borderlands of Thailand and Myanmar to track down those responsible for this multimillion-euro operation. During their investigation, they uncovered a vast criminal network linked to a notorious Chinese Triad boss.
In March, India repatriated 549 of its nationals after a previous crackdown on cybercrime operations at the Myanmar-Thai border.