When Pradeep Vijay, a 24-year-old from Maharashtra, boarded a flight to Southeast Asia, he thought he was on his way to a promising data entry job. Instead, his journey took a nightmarish turn. According to ThePrint, Pradeep was lured by what seemed like a legitimate job offer but ended up trapped for three years in a heavily guarded compound in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region, forced to run fake cryptocurrency schemes targeting fellow Indians abroad. His ordeal, marked by beatings, psychological torment, and endless work hours, finally ended after a Myanmar military raid in mid-October 2025. Last week, he was among 270 Indians repatriated by special Indian Air Force flights from Thailand after a dramatic rescue.
Pradeep’s story is just one among thousands. Between January 2022 and May 2024, at least 29,466 Indians traveled to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam on tourist visas and failed to return home, sources in the Indian security establishment told ThePrint. Many of them, like Pradeep, were victims of elaborate cybercrime syndicates operating out of Southeast Asia, where victims are recruited under the pretense of lucrative overseas jobs and then forced into online scam operations under threat of violence.
How does such a vast operation snare so many? ThePrint reports that the process often begins on social media platforms such as Telegram, Facebook, or WhatsApp. Recruiters or local agents advertise high-paying jobs in IT, data entry, or digital marketing, complete with fabricated employer profiles and glowing testimonials. Prospective workers are asked to pay commissions—sometimes as much as ₹1-1.5 lakh—for visas and tickets. Once in Thailand, workers are handed over to controllers who move them across the border into Myanmar, most commonly to the notorious town of Myawaddy.
Once inside these compounds, escape is nearly impossible. Passports and phones are confiscated, and workers are subjected to grueling shifts that often exceed 18 hours a day, with no days off. Survivors have described harrowing conditions: constant monitoring by armed guards, severe torture—including having their nails pulled out, being confined without food, and electric shocks—for those who resist. Satish, another survivor from Maharashtra, told ThePrint, "We were sold for $5,000… beaten up if we refused (being sold)," recalling how his salary was docked for minor infractions and how he endured physical abuse for simple acts like crossing his legs.
In mid-October 2025, the Myanmar military launched a raid on KK Park, one of the largest cybercrime compounds near Myawaddy. The crackdown triggered a mass exodus—over 1,500 people from 28 countries, including 465 Indians, fled across the border into Thailand’s Mae Sot. Local authorities in Thailand detained the Indian nationals for illegal entry and fined them, as reported by The Tribune. During immigration checks, Thai authorities seized electronic gadgets, mobile phones, and multiple passports from many of the Indians, who had tried to conceal these items before boarding the Indian Air Force flights home.
The repatriation of 270 Indians, including 26 women, was a coordinated effort involving the Indian Embassy in Bangkok, the Consulate in Chiang Mai, and various Thai government agencies. The first batch of returnees was flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands before being brought to New Delhi. The Tribune notes that Indian investigative agencies questioned the repatriated nationals to determine whether they had been involved in the online scams operated from KK Park. Authorities are also in the process of bringing back around 200 more Indians from Mae Sot, who will face similar questioning upon arrival.
The scale of the scam operation is staggering. As ThePrint previously reported, scam hubs like those in Myanmar’s border regions have held thousands of foreign workers captive, forcing them to perpetrate investment scams, “digital arrest” operations, and impersonation fraud. According to a United Nations report cited by The Tribune, hundreds of trafficked individuals from various countries have been forced to carry out fraud in these centers, which are often linked to criminal networks recruiting globally. Similar scam compounds are believed to operate in Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
The crackdown on KK Park was not an isolated incident. China has previously acted against scam hubs along its border with Myanmar, but, as ThePrint points out, enforcement on the Thai-Myanmar border has been less consistent. However, increased pressure from China and Thai politicians has led Thailand to cut power and communications to the compounds, restrict banking access for scam bosses, and issue arrest warrants for militia leaders. These moves prompted some compounds to evacuate their workers, leading to the recent mass crossings into Thailand.
For those who managed to escape, the journey home has been fraught with uncertainty. Many were detained in camps in Bangkok, where they made contact with their families. The Indian Embassy in Bangkok continues to work with Thai and Myanmar authorities to secure the release and return of other Indian nationals still trapped in scam centers. In a statement, the embassy warned Indian citizens to rigorously verify the credentials of overseas employers and recruitment agencies before accepting job offers. The embassy also cautioned that visa-free entry to Thailand for Indian passport holders is strictly for tourism or short business visits, not for employment.
India’s External Affairs Ministry has been proactive in addressing the crisis. In July 2024, the ministry raised the issue with Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry, urging the swift return of unlawfully detained Indians and calling for stronger action against cyber scam networks. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated, "In India, we have sought the blocking of websites that advertise such jobs and have recommended prosecution in certain cases involving individuals connected to these activities." This reflects a growing recognition of the need for both international cooperation and domestic vigilance to combat such transnational crime.
The plight of these Indian nationals is not unique. The UN report highlights that the problem of forced labor in scam centers is a regional one, with criminal syndicates exploiting vulnerable individuals from across Asia and beyond. The underground nature of these operations, coupled with the complicity or inaction of local authorities, makes eradication a daunting task. Yet, the recent raids and repatriations signal a shift—however incremental—towards greater accountability and protection for the victims.
For survivors like Pradeep and Satish, the scars—physical and psychological—may linger long after their return. But their stories have brought international attention to a shadowy world of cybercrime, trafficking, and exploitation, compelling governments to act. As authorities continue to unravel the networks behind these schemes and bring more victims home, the hope is that others will be spared from such ordeals in the future.