Authorities in Myanmar successfully rescued 46 Kenyans from human trafficking networks where they were being held by a suspected Chinese cartel scamming people online.
The rescue, confirmed by Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs on Tuesday, came just days after 24 others were rescued in a similar mission last week, from a batch of 261 foreigners released following months of negotiations.
The Ministry said in a statement that the rescue was carried out with the help of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and the Border Guard Force (BGF).
“The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs confirms that on 12th February 2025, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) successfully negotiated for the release of 261 foreigners from 18 nationalities; 24 of these were Kenyans. “The release of the Kenyans followed months of delicate negotiations spearheaded by the Kenya Embassy in Thailand in conjunction with various partners in Thailand and Myanmar,” the ministry said.
The development follows an earlier escape of four Kenyans to Thailand on February 8, where they were assisted by local civilians and later taken into custody by security officials at the border.
“The four Kenyans are safe and are currently undergoing immigration processing before their repatriation,” the ministry stated.
"The Kenyans and other foreign nationals were held in fraud centres located in areas controlled by rebel groups fighting the Myanmar government, making rescue operations extremely difficult," the ministry said.
Although rescued, they will remain in Myanmar territory before being handed over to the Thai government.
"They are among hundreds of other foreigners who were trafficked to Myanmar late last year and forcibly used to commit various online crimes, including fraud, identity theft, phishing, romance scams, and cryptocurrency scams," the ministry said.
The rescue was part of an escalating crackdown on human trafficking and cyber fraud around the border between the two countries.
The victims, many from Africa, said that they were forced “to meet monthly earnings targets of up to $50,000. If they failed, they would be tortured.
“They were only allowed to sleep for two to three hours a day and worked nonstop. They were kept in dark cells and subjected to continuous abuse,” Thai authorities said.
Last week, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu urged Kenyans seeking employment opportunities abroad to engage only with licensed and government-approved recruitment agencies.
Ms Njogu's caution came amid rising concerns over unscrupulous recruiting practices that often align with international human trafficking networks. She warned job seekers about the inherent dangers of dealing with unregulated agencies.
A government statement said dozens of Kenyans and other East Africans had been lured to Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, ostensibly to work as English language teachers, but ended up as overworked, underpaid labourers.
The problem has grown, especially after recruiters hired other Kenyans to persuade compatriots to join them on false promises. The Kenyan embassy in Thailand said it had recently worked with local authorities to rescue as many as 140 Kenyans and other East Africans.
"Despite extensive warnings and awareness campaigns, the persistence of these scams remains a concern," the embassy said.
Kenyans are duped by fake job advertisements in Thailand, especially in customer care, front office, cryptocurrency, and teaching, "only to arrive in Thailand and find that there are no such jobs. Some of the Kenyans have ended up destitute in Bangkok, sleeping on the streets and begging for food from strangers," the embassy said.
Fraudsters look for workers who are fluent in the languages of their cyber-fraud targets, usually English and Chinese.
Some are willing to do the work, but others are forced to stay, with release only possible if their families pay large ransoms. Some of those who have escaped have described being tortured.
On Saturday, the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) said it was preparing to deport 10,000 people linked to cyber scams in the area it controls to Thailand as part of a crackdown on the illicit compounds.
Scam compounds have mushroomed in Myanmar's borderlands and are staffed by foreigners who are often trafficked and forced to work, swindling people around the world in an industry analysts say is worth billions of dollars.
The military task force responsible for border security in Thailand's Tak province has coordinated with BGF leaders to receive 7,000 workers from scam compounds, Thai media reported.
