A Kenyan man, known by the pseudonym "Xiao A," successfully escaped from a telecom fraud den in the Myawaddy area of Myanmar and sought help at the police station in Tak Province, Thailand. He detailed his horrific experiences at the den to the police.
Xiao A revealed that the scam den was controlled by a Chinese criminal gang and was extremely dangerous with no humanitarian care. He recalled that the only task of the staff was to meet set performance targets, and failure to do so would result in brutal violence.
Xiao A described, "They beat us with electric batons, and there was an electrified plastic board. We had to stand barefoot on it while holding heavy objects and doing squats, which was unbearably painful."
According to Xiao A, he was originally deceived into taking a "chef" position at the den and realized he was trapped after four months of forced labor.
He further revealed that multiple scam dens in Myawaddy were controlled by Chinese gangs, each with a designated leader. There were at least three scam companies in the area, with over a thousand victims, including 23 Kenyans.
Any victim who failed to meet their targets would be severely beaten, and the injured often did not receive proper medical treatment. Even if someone was unconscious for over six hours, they were merely given some medication, with no emergency medical aid.
Recalling his escape, Xiao A mentioned that he and over fifty other victims climbed over a high wall to flee. During the escape, Xiao A found a pit to hide in, successfully evading the guards and eventually reaching the Thai border. Although he managed to escape, he believes this might alert the scam group, making future escapes for other victims even more difficult.
He hopes his experience can serve as a warning, especially to his fellow Kenyans preparing to work in Thailand. He emphasized, "If someone offers you a job with 'attractive benefits,' such as positions like chefs or teachers with high salaries, do not believe it! These are scams, and they will lure you into fraudulent activities." He also called for international help for other victims still trapped in similar situations, to give them a chance to escape this 'hell.'
