They were forced to scam others worldwide. Now thousands are held in detention on the Myanmar border

People from China, Vietnam and Ethiopia, believed to have been trafficked and forced to work in scam centers, sit with their faces masked while in detention after being released from the centers in Myawaddy district in eastern Myanmar, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. -- AP Photo.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia/MAE SOT, Thailand (AP): Thousands of sick, exhausted and terrified young men and women, from countries all over the world squat in rows, packed shoulder to shoulder, surgical masks covering their mouths and eyes.

Their nightmare was supposed to be over.