Myanmar Scam: 283 Indians, Including 5 from Assam, Return Home

In a major rescue operation, 283 Indians detained at Myanmar’s infamous "Scam Centers" were repatriated to India via Thailand on Monday. The Indian nationals, including 266 men and 17 women, were trapped in fraudulent call center operations in Myawaddy, Myanmar.

Myanmar had detained 7,000 individuals from 24 countries as part of a crackdown on illegal online fraud. The detained individuals are now being sent back to their respective nations. Reports indicate that five individuals from Assam were among those repatriated.

The Assamese returnees have been handed over to Assam Bhawan authorities in New Delhi for further procedures.

MEA Issues Advisory, Cautions Job Seekers

Following the rescue, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday once again urged Indian nationals to verify foreign job offers before accepting them. The MEA emphasized that individuals were lured with fake employment opportunities and later forced into cybercrime and financial fraud at scam centers operating along the Myanmar-Thailand border.

"Indian embassies in Myanmar and Thailand coordinated with local authorities to secure the repatriation of 283 Indian nationals today via an IAF aircraft from Mae Sot, Thailand," the MEA said in a statement.

The statement further added, "The Government of India has been making sustained efforts to rescue and repatriate Indian nationals who were deceived into working in scam operations across Southeast Asia."

Reiterating its cautionary advisory, the MEA urged job seekers to verify employers' credentials through Indian missions abroad and conduct background checks on recruitment agents before accepting job offers.

Multiple States Affected

The evacuees belong to various states, including Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

This is not the first such operation. In December 2023, the Indian Embassy in Myanmar announced the release of six Indian nationals trapped in job scam compounds in Myawaddy. Since July 2024, a total of 101 Indians have been repatriated from Myanmar, according to the Indian Embassy’s post on X.

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