Indonesia to repatriate 561 Myanmar scam centre workers

FIndonesians who were forced to work at scam centers in eastern Myanmar arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. - AP

JAKARTA: More than 500 Indonesians freed from online scam centres in Myanmar will be repatriated via Thailand in the coming days, a senior Indonesian official told AFP on Tuesday (March 18).

Cyberscam operations, which have thrived in Myanmar's lawless border areas for several years, lure foreign workers with promises of high-paying jobs but hold them hostage and force them to commit online fraud.