**Trafficking Victims Share Harrowing Experiences of Abuse and Exploitation**
Seye, a 27-year-old woman, recounts her ordeal, stating, “The Chinese would shock me with electric probes almost daily. I endured this continuously for nine months.” She is one of hundreds of alleged trafficking victims who crossed the Thai-Myanmar border this month. Seye was part of a group of 260 individuals, over half of whom were Ethiopian, transferred to Thailand by a rebel group in February. Many in the group agreed to share their stories, provided they only used their first names.
Carrying their belongings and harrowing tales, the group claims they were trapped in notorious scam compounds, where they faced frequent abuse and were coerced into scamming people worldwide. This large-scale repatriation comes amid increasing pressure to combat transnational online fraud operations, which range from romance scams to gambling and fraudulent investments. Known as scam centers, this industry has expanded in lawless border regions, particularly along the Thai-Myanmar border.
Many victims are lured by the promise of lucrative job opportunities, only to find themselves enslaved in secure compounds, forced to execute online scams. The operations have become increasingly globalized, drawing victims from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America. Research by the US Institute of Peace estimates that these scams generate $63.9 billion annually in global revenue, with the majority ($39 billion) originating from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. The UN estimates that at least 120,000 individuals in Myanmar and another 100,000 in Cambodia may be compelled to work in this industry.
Shazab, a 24-year-old man from Pakistan, shares his experience of being trafficked. He flew to Bangkok six months ago, believing he had secured a job in IT. Instead, his phone and passport were confiscated, and he was unknowingly trafficked to a scam center in Myanmar. Initially, he resisted cooperation, stating, “When I refused, I was tortured. They tied both my hands to a pole and beat me. They shocked me with electric probes.” Shazab was later sold to another compound for $10,000, with the transaction occurring right in front of him.
Shazab was part of a group handed over by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a Myanmar rebel group, to the Thai Army. The DKBA confirmed that the group had been working at a scam center in Kyauk Khet, a village in Kayin state along the Thai-Myanmar border. Many individuals in the group displayed wounds they attributed to repeated electric shocks, while beatings were reportedly inflicted using PVC pipes, ropes, and charging cables.
“They’re punishing people like animals,” asserts another Pakistani national named Salman. “Torturing without any reason.” Among those released were individuals from over a dozen countries, including China, Brazil, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
