Belarus model trafficked from Thailand killed in Myanmar camp
Victim lured by fake job offer before being taken to criminal camp
A 26 year old woman from Belarus was trafficked after arriving in Thailand for a modelling job and later died in Myanmar, where she was forced into cyber scams.
The victim, Vera Kravtsova, believed she had secured legitimate work in Bangkok. However, according to international media reports, she was allegedly abducted shortly after her arrival and taken to a region in northern Myanmar controlled by criminal networks.
Her passport and mobile phone were reportedly confiscated, and she was forced to work under harsh conditions in a so-called “cyber scam camp,” where victims are made to carry out online fraud operations. These camps are said to be operated by organised crime groups and supported by local militia.
Reports suggest that Kravtsova was assigned to a romance scam, targeting victims online. When she failed to meet the financial targets set by the group, contact with her family was severed. Her relatives later received a demand for US$500,000 (approximately 18.3 million baht) for the return of her body. When the money was not sent, they were allegedly informed that she had already been cremated.
Russian news outlet SHOT further claimed that Kravtsova was sold to an organ trafficking group, and that her organs were removed before her cremation.
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the victim left Bangkok for Yangon on September 20 and that her disappearance was put under investigation. Ambassador Vladimir Borovikov said that the embassy is cooperating with Thai and Myanmar officials and continues to urge citizens to exercise caution when accepting job offers abroad, especially in high-risk regions, reported The Asia Business Daily and Belta.
This is not the first such case. Another model, Dashinima Ochirnimayeva from Chita, Russia, was lured by a similar offer and trafficked to Myanmar. She was eventually rescued with the help of Russian authorities after being forced to work under threats of violence.
According to a 2023 United Nations report, approximately 120,000 victims of human trafficking are currently detained in Myanmar, many forced into labour for scam operations. Human rights organisations continue to raise concerns about the growing scale of this issue across Southeast Asia, particularly in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.
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