Despite weeks of crackdowns by Thai and Myanmar authorities on telecom scam parks along the Myanmar-Thailand border, which successfully rescued thousands, local scam activities remain rampant. Thai police's latest estimates suggest that up to 100,000 people are still working in these illegal parks.
The chief inspector in charge of combating scam parks in Thailand, Thachai, recently told Reuters that the current law enforcement actions only involve a small part of the large scam parks in the Myawaddy area, and many scam bases are still operational.
"According to intelligence held by the Thai police and data provided by Chinese authorities, there are still about 50,000 to 100,000 people active in the area, as we still observe their activities," Thachai noted, adding that China has identified 3,700 suspects allegedly involved in scams still in the parks.
According to data provided by Myanmar, since February this year, more than 5,200 people have been rescued from the Myawaddy scam parks, with over 3,500 of them repatriated through Thailand. However, Thachai emphasized that not all the rescued are victims, with initial assessments showing that at least several hundred voluntarily went to Myawaddy to engage in scam activities.
He called for thorough investigations by countries to root out the masterminds, "Many people go through Thailand to Myawaddy looking for jobs, which involves not only telecom scam groups but also online gambling and other illegal activities."
To further combat cross-border crime, Thachai is pushing for the establishment of a multinational coordination center to standardize repatriation procedures, investigate suspects, and share intelligence, thereby prosecuting the criminals involved. He also stated that Thai police are willing to provide assistance when necessary to ensure that arrested scam suspects are legally sanctioned in their home countries.
