The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on 5 November that it has dispatched two Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft to Mae Sot, Thailand, to bring home 465 Indian nationals who escaped forced labour at the notorious ‘KK Park’ cyber-scam compound in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
Thai authorities set up a temporary processing centre after Myanmar’s military raided the compound in mid-October. Of the 1,500 foreigners who fled, Indians formed the largest group. The first IAF aircraft departed Mae Sot on Thursday night with 270 passengers; a second flight will repatriate the remainder next Monday.
![India begins air-force repatriation of citizens who fled Myanmar cyber-scam hub]()
India carried out a similar evacuation in March, when 549 citizens were airlifted from the same border region. Consular officials told reporters that most victims had been lured by fraudulent online job offers and subsequently forced to run romance-investment scams targeting Western consumers.
The operation highlights growing diplomatic cooperation between India, Thailand and Myanmar against human-trafficking rings. It also underscores the duty-of-care obligations companies have when hiring through third-party agencies in Southeast Asia. Mobility managers are advised to vet recruiters thoroughly and educate employees about the risks of overseas ‘tech-support’ or ‘crypto-trading’ jobs that promise quick money and do not require work visas.
Thai authorities set up a temporary processing centre after Myanmar’s military raided the compound in mid-October. Of the 1,500 foreigners who fled, Indians formed the largest group. The first IAF aircraft departed Mae Sot on Thursday night with 270 passengers; a second flight will repatriate the remainder next Monday.
India carried out a similar evacuation in March, when 549 citizens were airlifted from the same border region. Consular officials told reporters that most victims had been lured by fraudulent online job offers and subsequently forced to run romance-investment scams targeting Western consumers.
The operation highlights growing diplomatic cooperation between India, Thailand and Myanmar against human-trafficking rings. It also underscores the duty-of-care obligations companies have when hiring through third-party agencies in Southeast Asia. Mobility managers are advised to vet recruiters thoroughly and educate employees about the risks of overseas ‘tech-support’ or ‘crypto-trading’ jobs that promise quick money and do not require work visas.
