Myanmar authorities assisted in the release of 11 Indian victims who were trapped in a job scam at Shwe Ko Ko in Myawaddy, according to the Indian embassy in Myanmar.

In a post on X, the embassy announced that Myanmar authorities, with local assistance, had successfully secured the release of the Indians who had been trapped in Shwe Ko Ko.

Earlier, 13 Indians who were trapped in Myanmar due to a job scam faced difficulties with repatriation because of their illegal entry into the country.

Indians have been trapped in similar job scams in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. A report by the Deccan Herald revealed that most of these individuals were from Tamil Nadu.

The report also indicated that in 2022, 45 Indians were rescued from their fake employers by the Myanmar and Thailand embassies, while 150 more were trapped in Shwe Ko Ko and were gradually released over time.

Many of the cyber scams in 2024 involve fraudulent trading apps, investment apps and websites, fake loan apps, fake dating apps, and fake gaming apps.

Shwe Ko Ko, a notorious scam hub in Myanmar, is infamous for fake job rackets that facilitate illegal gambling, human trafficking, call centre scams, and cryptocurrency fraud.

In May 2024, 360 Indians were also rescued from Cambodia, where they were working in online scams within locked compounds similar to Shwe Ko Ko.

On May 16, the central government announced the formation of a high-level inter-ministerial committee, chaired by the Special Secretary (Internal Security) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, to address the increase in cybercrime leading to such situations.

The Indian embassy also stated that the Indian citizens would soon be repatriated and return home, tagging the External Affairs Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office on X.

Image source: AP