Over 500 Indians Rescued from Cyber Crime Centres in Myanmar

Nearly 500 Indians were rescued from Cyber scam centers in Myanmar. This comes after a coordinated effort with the governments of Myanmar and Thailand, that the Indian Air Force (IAF) evacuated 283 people on Monday from Mae Sot, Thailand. Another batch of 266 Indians were airlifted back to India on Tuesday. Now, the total number of rescued Indians has risen to 549.

Randhir Jaiswal issues Statement

In a post on X, the ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Indian Embassies worked with Myanmar & Thailand governments to secure their release. He wrote, “The Government of India arranged for the safe repatriation of 266 Indians yesterday by an IAF aircraft, who were released from cybercrime centres in South East Asia. On Monday, 283 Indians were similarly repatriated,” Jaiswal said.

Government of India arranged for the safe repatriation of 266 Indians yesterday by an IAF aircraft, who were released from cybercrime centres in South East Asia. On Monday, 283 Indians were similarly repatriated.

Indian Embassies worked with Myanmar & Thailand governments to… pic.twitter.com/m56JcUzLSp

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 12, 2025

Victims of Cybercrime Rackets

According to reports, the repatriated individuals were lured with fake job offers. They were later forced to work in cybercrime syndicates operating along the Myanmar and Thailand border. These scam networks were often allegedly linked to Chinese operators. They coerced the victims into running fraudulent schemes such as phishing, investment fraud, and romance scams.

Following a crackdown on illegal operations around 7,000 workers from at least two dozen countries have been freed. Meanwhile the majority of them are Chinese.

The victims were held in guarded compounds, their passports were confiscated, and they were threatened with violence. The Indian victims hail from states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Indian Embassy Reacts

The Indian Embassy in Thailand in a post on X said, “The Indian Embassy in Thailand, in close coordination with Indian Embassy in Myanmar and local authorities, secured repatriation of 549 Indians through Mae Sot in Thailand to India on 10 and 11 March 2025 by two special flights. They were rescued from scam centres operating in Myanmar in areas near the Myanmar-Thailand border”.

Poor Living Conditions Near Border

Several victims had been left stranded for weeks before being rescued. While conditions in Myanmar’s Myawaddy detention facility were relatively decent, those near the border faced extreme hardship. Reports suggest that over 500 people were confined in army-style tents with no proper toilets and limited food.The Mobile phones of the victims were also confiscated upon arrival, leaving detainees without communication.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been actively working to secure the release of Indian nationals trapped in cybercrime centers across Southeast Asia. Authorities in Myanmar, under pressure from China, have recently intensified crackdowns on such illegal operations, leading to the release of thousands of foreign workers.