KATHMANDU, Dec 11: A total of 47 Nepali nationals rescued from scamming centres in Myanmar are returning to Nepal from Bangkok on Wednesday. The Embassy of Nepal in Bangkok coordinated their rescue and repatriation.
According to the embassy, the individuals had been lured to Myanmar under various promises and forced to work in illegal online scamming centres involved in online dating fraud, online casinos, gaming and phishing schemes as well as crypto-related scams.
The 47 Nepalis forced into such activities were rescued with the cooperation of relevant Thai authorities and repatriated to Nepal on Nepal Airlines flight RA 402 on Wednesday.
“Among the rescued individuals, 47 people from 26 districts are included, consisting of 45 men and 2 women,” the embassy said in its statement issued on Wednesday.
Those rescued include one person each from Chitwan, Dailekh, Kaski, Kathmandu, Kavre, Palpa, Ramechhap, Rautahat, Salyan, Sarlahi, Sindhuli, Taplejung and Terhathum; two each from Dang, Mahottari, Morang, Nawalparasi, Nuwakot, Syangja and Tanahun; three each from Dhading, Gorkha, Rupandehi, Sindhupalchok and Udaypur; and five from Jhapa.
Three Nepalis rescued from online scam operations in Myanmar
“One person is 17 years old, 26 are aged between 20 and 25, 10 individuals are between 26 and 30, eight are between 31 and 35, one is 40 and another is 41. Most have completed 10+2 or studied information technology,” the statement added.
The embassy said the rescued individuals had been trapped in scamming centres for periods ranging from two months to 18 months.
According to their personal accounts, they had reached Myanmar after being contacted through various persons, friends, online acquaintances, people they played online games with, or through social media advertisements.
Some had been convinced by friends they met while studying in India, while others were approached by acquaintances they knew while studying or working in Dubai, the embassy noted.
“Job offers circulated on WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram and other platforms claimed high hourly income in Kathmandu. After responding, they were further contacted and promised office or call-centre jobs abroad with salaries above Rs 100,000, drawing them into traps,” the embassy said.
The embassy noted that after being lured, individuals were trafficked through several channels into the scamming centres.
“Once inside, they were given relatively easy tasks at first, but later pressured with strict targets. Failure to meet targets resulted in accusations of other crimes, leading to severe financial and physical exploitation. They faced hostage-like conditions, demands for ransom from their families, threats of jail or even murder,” the embassy added.
Those who attempted to escape were not allowed to leave unless they brought in another person as a replacement, according to the embassy.
The embassy has urged Nepalis not to travel to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar or Laos for employment under such false promises.
In the fiscal year 2023/24, the Nepali Embassy in Bangkok rescued 68 people; 156 in 2024/25; and 141 so far in the current fiscal year.
The embassy said the rescue of Nepalis was carried out by following operational guidelines introduced by Thailand to facilitate the repatriation of foreign nationals stranded in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
