Feb 03, Kathmandu - In a recent development, a Myanmar court has sentenced 18 Nepali men working in illegal scam centers in the country to one year in prison, along with mandatory labor. The decision was communicated through a letter from the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, corresponding to Magh 19 in the Nepali calendar.

Nepali Ambassador to Myanmar, Harish Chandra Ghimire, confirmed that all 18 individuals are male and that they are currently in Myanmar's prisons. They were detained by Myanmar authorities during an operation targeting illegal scam centers, primarily in the Myawaddy region.

Prior to their detention, a team from the Nepali Embassy in Thailand had attempted to rescue these individuals near the Myanmar border. The group was apprehended by local police after reaching the Thai border area from Mawdi. Human traffickers reportedly lured many Nepalese under false pretenses, leading them into scam centers operated illegally in Myanmar and Thailand.

Despite repeated warnings from the Nepali embassies in Thailand and Myanmar to avoid such scams, the practice continues, with traffickers using various deceptive tactics to lure Nepali nationals into Southeast Asian scam centers. The actual number of Nepalis trafficked remains unclear, but rescue operations reveal a significant presence.

Over the past two and a half years, the Nepali embassies in Myanmar and Thailand have rescued and repatriated over 400 Nepali victims. According to the Thai embassy, 365 Nepalis have been rescued from scam centers along the Cambodia–Thailand, Myanmar–Thailand borders, and in Laos, with 68 rescued in 2020/21, 156 in 2021/22, and 145 so far in 2022/23. The Myanmar embassy has also rescued over 74 Nepalis during this period.

Victims rescued from Myawaddy report being held captive without adequate facilities, forced into cyber-scam operations, online fraud, and other illegal activities. Many have detailed brutal treatment, including physical punishments such as beatings, water jar carrying, electrocuting, confinement in dark rooms, and "frog jumps." Some victims also alleged that traffickers demanded up to eight lakh Nepali rupees for their release, threatening them with further captivity if paid.

Investigations by Nepal’s Human Trafficking Bureau have filed 16 cases related to cyber-scam activities, involving trafficking from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. The bureau's initial findings indicate that victims are often transported in vehicles over 36 hours from Thailand to Myanmar, where they are introduced to scam operations. Traffickers also train victims on communication tricks, how to deceive clients, and how to invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Authorities warn Nepalese to remain vigilant against traffickers and false promises, emphasizing the importance of awareness to prevent falling into such traps.