More than 250 foreign nationals from 20 different countries who had been working in telecom fraud centres in Myanmar's Karen State have been released by an ethnic armed group and brought to Thailand. The Thai army received the workers, who are now undergoing assessments to determine whether they were victims of human trafficking.

The release comes amid a crackdown on scam operations along the Thai-Myanmar border. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, pledging to dismantle these fraudulent centres. As part of these efforts, Thailand has restricted access to power and fuel from its side of the border and strengthened banking and visa regulations to prevent the country from being used as a transit point for illegal activities.

The Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), one of the armed groups controlling parts of Karen State, facilitated the release. These groups have been accused of sheltering scam operations and allowing human trafficking victims to be exploited in such compounds. Myanmar’s government has struggled to establish control over Karen State since the country gained independence in 1948.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation has issued arrest warrants for three commanders of another armed group, the Karen National Army. Among them is Saw Chit Thu, a Karen warlord linked to the construction of Shwe Kokko, a city believed to be financed largely by fraudulent activities.

Despite claims by Yatai, the company behind Shwe Kokko, that scam operations have been shut down, local sources indicate that such businesses continue to operate. A BBC visit to the city found large billboards declaring that forced labour and online scams are prohibited. However, testimonies from workers suggest that fraudulent activities are still ongoing in the area.

The Thai government’s intensified measures signal a determined push to dismantle scam networks and protect vulnerable workers from exploitation along its border with Myanmar.