Thailand launches global task force to combat human trafficking
Thailand is stepping up its fight against human trafficking and scam call centres by establishing an international coordination centre to rescue victims trapped in Myanmar, Police Inspector-General Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot announced.
Speaking from Tak province yesterday, February 10, Thatchai confirmed that the centre will work with international law enforcement to track down and free people, regardless of nationality, who have been lured or trafficked into Myanmar to work in fraudulent operations.
The initiative follows recommendations from Liu Zhongyi, China’s vice minister for public security, who visited Thailand last week to discuss the growing crisis of Chinese nationals being trafficked into Myanmar, often through Thailand.
“Thai police have received over 100 reports from families in the Philippines and Bangladesh claiming their missing relatives have been forced into scam call centres in Myanmar.”
Thailand recently cut off Internet, electricity, and fuel to five key locations in Tachileik, Myawaddy, and Payathonzu on February 5 to disrupt these illegal operations.
Meanwhile, police are also cracking down on trafficking networks within Thailand. Yesterday, February 10, police in Surin province arrested two Vietnamese men suspected of working with a scam syndicate in O-Samet, Cambodia.
During the raid, officers discovered a computer, printers, an industrial sewing machine, and equipment used to forge passports.
Police believe the arrests are linked to the recent rescue of a Chinese man, who dramatically escaped a moving car after realising he was being trafficked into Cambodia for scam work.
With Thailand intensifying efforts to dismantle human trafficking rings, police are urging victims’ families to report suspected cases, as the new global task force prepares to hunt down traffickers and rescue their victims, reported Thai PBS World.
Human trafficking remains a significant concern in Thailand, with recent incidents highlighting the ongoing challenges.
Last month, Chinese actor Wang Xing was lured to Thailand under the pretence of a film shoot.
Upon arrival, he was abducted and trafficked into Myanmar, where he was forced to participate in a call scam operation targeting Chinese citizens. This case drew widespread attention and prompted Thai police to intensify efforts against human trafficking networks.
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