23 Kenyans Rescued
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Recent reports indicate that at least 23 Kenyans are among over 250 foreign nationals rescued from scam operations in Myanmar by an ethnic armed group.
This intervention comes amid increasing efforts to liberate individuals held captive by criminal syndicates operating in the region. According to the BBC, the rescue operation, which took place on February 13, saw the transfer of individuals, primarily from Asia and Africa, to Thailand after enduring months of harrowing captivity. Upon their arrival, military officials assessed the conditions of the rescued individuals to determine whether they were victims of human trafficking.
Investigations have uncovered that criminal networks in Myanmar have been luring foreigners with false promises of high-paying job opportunities. Many of these victims are coerced into participating in various illicit activities, including cryptocurrency fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling. Targets of these scams are predominantly English- and Chinese-speaking individuals, with numerous accounts emerging from those who resisted the fraudulent schemes.
The captives often encountered severe conditions and faced ransom demands from their captors. Despite ongoing calls for intervention, the Myanmar government has yet to take decisive action against these criminal operations. The recent rescue mission, facilitated by discussions between Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chinese President Xi Jinping, underscores the urgent need to dismantle these networks.
This operation follows repeated warnings from the Kenyan Embassy in Thailand, which has cautioned its citizens about the escalating risks of human trafficking and mistreatment in Myanmar. In October, the Embassy issued an official warning after reports surfaced of several Kenyans being taken hostage. Despite diplomatic efforts, Kenyan authorities encountered significant challenges in securing the release of their citizens, facing ransom demands as high as Sh 820,000, with criminal groups referring to their captives as “slaves.”