A report from The Guardian on Tuesday revealed that around 260 people, mostly Ethiopian, were smuggled into Thailand by a rebel group in February, trapping them in scam compounds along the Thai-Myanmar border where they were abused and forced to participate in online fraud.

The mass repatriation comes amid growing pressure to address transnational scams, which have proliferated in lawless border areas. According to the report, many victims were lured by promises of high-paying jobs, only to find themselves enslaved.

The scam operations have become more global, affecting victims from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America. Research by the US Institute of Peace estimates these scams generate $63.9bln annually, with $39bln coming from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.

Additionally, the UN reports that at least 120,000 people in Myanmar and 100,000 in Cambodia may have been forced into this industry.

‘Punishing people like animals’

The report mentioned that six months ago, 24-year-old Shazab from Pakistan traveled to Bangkok for what he believed was an IT job. However, his phone and passport were confiscated, and he was unknowingly trafficked across the border to a scam center in Myanmar.

Initially, he refused to cooperate.

"When I refused, I was tortured. They tied both my hands to a pole. Then they beat me. Shocked me with electric probes," says Shazab, who was among the cohort picked up along the border, adding "Later they sold me to another compound for $10,000, saying I wasn’t working well. They exchanged money right in front of me."

Shazab was among the group transferred by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBD), a Myanmar rebel group, to the Thai Army. The DKBD confirmed that the group Shazab was in had been working at a scam center in Kyauk Khet, a village in Kayin (Karen) state along the Thai-Myanmar border.

"They’re punishing people like animals," another Pakistani national named Salman said. "Torturing without any reason."

The group released included nationals from over a dozen countries, such as China, Brazil, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, India, Laos, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

They ordered me to torture my team members’

Recently, Thailand launched a crackdown on the scam industry, cutting off internet, electricity, and fuel to five areas where criminal groups were believed to operate.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra stated that around 7,000 people have been rescued from illegal call center operations in Myanmar and are awaiting transfer to Thailand.

China has been pushing for the curbing of clandestine operations, especially following the high-profile kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing in January. The 22-year-old was abducted after arriving in Thailand, believing he was attending a casting call with film producers.

Interviews with nearly a dozen people on the border in February revealed that victims were made to work over 15 hours a day without pay and endured frequent abuse.

In an interview with The Guardian, Thai police general Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Center, stated that it is believed that 30 to 40 Chinese criminal gangs are operating scam centers in the border region with Thailand.