A Bangladeshi victim of human trafficking and forced labor at a scam center is set to be deported home from Thailand in mid-November 2024, after escaping a crime hub in Myanmar near the Mei River to seek help from Thai authorities in October. He emphasized that many more victims remain under the control of Chinese-led crime syndicates in Myanmar, with Thailand often used as a transit route.
Ariyan (a pseudonym), a Bangladeshi man, was lured to Thailand in May 2024 by a job offer from a supposed international company. At the time, he was working in Dubai, UAE. He explained to Transborder News that economic hardship in Bangladesh forces many young people to seek work abroad. When an agent in Dubai informed him of a promising security job in Thailand, he quickly applied.
Ariyan was interviewed by a representative of the so-called company via the Telegram app and was told he was selected for the job. He was instructed to obtain a Thai visa and fly to Thailand. Upon arrival at Bangkok’s airport, he was greeted by a driver from the company—but the destination turned out to be in Myanmar, not Thailand.
During the long drive, Ariyan was unaware he was being trafficked to a scam center, as he had never been to Thailand before and had no idea how long it should take to reach his supposed destination.
“There were about three checkpoints on the way to Myanmar’s border, but the driver stayed with me the entire time. I didn’t know what to do, as this was my first time in the region. Thai authorities at the checkpoints didn’t ask much about me or check the documents of foreign travelers. When we reached the border area in Northern Thailand, I was led to an unmonitored crossing where people could pass unchecked, and then I was in Myanmar,” Ariyan recounted.
On the Myanmar side, he arrived at a large compound run by the scam company that had hired him. “There were many people from different countries, but also armed guards. I realized it was dangerous, and I couldn’t go anywhere or move around freely.”
Ariyan’s passport was confiscated, and he was taken to a building belonging to the scam operation. There, he was forced to work as a scammer for over 15 hours a day without pay. The syndicate, led by Chinese speaking individuals, set a monthly target of $50,000 that he was expected to scam from victims online. Each time he refused due to guilt, he was punished with electric shocks or had his meals withheld.
While enduring forced labor, Ariyan tried to contact his family for help. His family reached out to the Civil Society Network for Victim Assistance in Human Trafficking, which had previously aided victims from the same area. Ariyan secretly contacted the network’s coordinator and planned his escape, requesting permission to visit a temple near the Mei River, which forms the natural border between Myanmar’s Myawaddy and Thailand’s Tak Province.
In October, he successfully escaped by jumping into the Mei River and swimming a distance from the compound. After reaching shore, he navigated through forested areas for days until he encountered a good Samaritan in Myanmar who gave him shelter and helped him contact the network coordinator to seek help from both sides. He was eventually rescued into Thailand and entered the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), a system established by the Thai government to identify victims of trafficking and forced labor.
The scars and injuries on Ariyan’s body evidenced the torture he endured, corroborating the accounts of previously rescued victims. After some time under the care of Thai authorities and support from the Civil Society Network, he received assistance from the Bangladeshi embassy in Thailand and is now set to return to Bangladesh on November 14, 2024. Grateful for the help he received, Ariyan expressed hope that Thailand will cease to be a transit route for human trafficking and urged the Thai government to assist the remaining victims.
“I’ve received help from so many people in Thailand—police officers, soldiers, and NGOs who were all very kind. I want to thank everyone, but there are still many people trapped there, including my friends. We came to Thailand for jobs but were taken to Myanmar instead. In my country, we think of Thailand as a good place with kind people,” Ariyan added.
On October 26, the Thailand-based Civil Society Network for Victim Assistance in Human Trafficking issued open letters to Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of Thailand, as well as officials from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and National Human Rights Commission. They called for urgent action on behalf of the 110 human trafficking victims forced to cross the border into Myanmar by a Chinese mafia syndicate.
Since then, several embassies in Thailand have contacted the Civil Society Network to seek assistance for their citizens trapped in the Mei River crime hub in Myanmar. The number of victims has risen to over 300 from 10 countries, including 19 Laotians who have contacted the network coordinator, detailing their horrific conditions and the torture inflicted on them by Chinese bosses for failing to meet targets.
“We want to leave this place desperately, but we don’t know what to do. They watch us closely. If we try to escape and get caught, they might beat us to death. We’re hoping the Thai government will help because some victims were rescued before when their families reached out to the Thai authorities,” one Laotian victim recently told Transborder News.
A source close to Thailand’s National Security, who wished to remain anonymous, shed light on the Thai government’s challenges, noting that the instability on Myanmar’s side of the border complicates intervention.
“Several embassies approached the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs for assistance, but they received no response. Myanmar’s government has also been unresponsive. The area where the crime hub is located is controlled by the Karen ethnic armed groups, which relies on Thailand for various resources. If the Thai Royal Army intervenes, the group may allow the victims to go free,” the source explained.
According to Ariyan, many victims in the crime hub along the Mei River are from so many countries like Pakistan, Morocco, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
“Please help everyone. This is my humble request to the Thai government,” Ariyan pleaded before his scheduled return home.
