Thai and Cambodian law enforcement conducted a raid on a building in a border town, resulting in the liberation of 215 foreign nationals, as reported by a senior Thai official on Sunday. This operation is part of a broader regional initiative aimed at dismantling cyber scam centers.
According to the United Nations, criminal organizations have trafficked hundreds of thousands of individuals, compelling them to work in scam operations and illegal online activities throughout Southeast Asia. A 2023 UN report indicated that these rapidly expanding enterprises generate billions of dollars each year.
The operation on Sunday focused on a three-story structure located in Poipet, a Cambodian border town in Banteay Meanchey province. Among those rescued were 109 Thais, 50 Pakistanis, 48 Indians, five Taiwanese, and three Indonesians, as stated by Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub.
Jirayu noted, “This represents the largest number of Thais rescued from a building suspected of cyber fraud in collaboration between the two nations.” He emphasized that the raid was a result of a cooperative effort between Thailand and Cambodia to combat these scam centers.
These scam operations have been in existence for several years but are now under increased scrutiny following the abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was enticed to Thailand with a job offer and subsequently taken to a scam center in Myanmar.
