Repatriation of Offenders and Victims from Myanmar: 600 Chinese Nationals Expected to Return by Saturday
TAK – The first group of 50 Chinese nationals has successfully returned from scam centers in Myanmar, flying out of Mae Sot on Thursday morning. An additional 150 are scheduled to arrive back in China by the end of the day.
These individuals were escorted from Myawaddy to the Thai border district on two buses, accompanied by police vehicles. Soldiers from the Ratchamanu task force received them from the Karen Border Guard Force at the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge over the Moei River around 9 am.
Each returnee was guided by a soldier into the Mae Sot Border Checkpoint 2 and later handed over to Chinese authorities for the inaugural repatriation flight organized by the Chinese government from Mae Sot airport.
Media access to the border checkpoint was restricted. The plane took off at 11:30 am, with reports indicating that four repatriation flights, each carrying 50 individuals along with officials, were scheduled for Thursday.
The Chinese government has arranged for China Southern Airlines to conduct 16 flights from Mae Sot between Thursday and Saturday, ultimately repatriating a total of 600 nationals. Following their return, repatriation efforts for foreign nationals are anticipated.
These Chinese nationals represent a fraction of the thousands expected to be extracted from Myawaddy-based scam operations amid heightened pressure from the Chinese government, alongside Thailand’s suspension of power, oil, and internet services to the area earlier this month.
The scam centers, primarily operated by criminal gangs consisting of mostly Chinese individuals, employ many foreign nationals who allege they were trafficked and coerced into participating in internet scams targeting victims globally.
The Karen Border Guard Force, allied with the Myanmar junta, has indicated plans to deport as many as 10,000 individuals linked to these crime rings within the areas under its control along the Thai border.
Chinese security officials are expected to be present with the returnees on the flights, though the fate of those returning remains uncertain. It’s unclear how many participants were willingly involved in the scams and how many were victims of trafficking.
This repatriation follows multiple visits by China’s assistant minister for public security to Thailand, aimed at coordinating efforts to suppress scam centers and oversee the return of Chinese citizens.
A China Southern Airlines aircraft has arrived at Mae Sot airport for the first of 16 planned flights, facilitating the repatriation of 600 Chinese nationals over the next three days.
