India repatriated the first batch of hundreds of its nationals who last month fled to Thailand from Myanmar, where most had been working at a notorious centre for online scams.
The centre, known as KK Park on the outskirts of Myawaddy and said to house a major cybercrime operation, was raided by Myanmar’s army in mid-October to suppress cross-border online scams and illegal gambling.
An Indian air force transport plane left Thailand en route to India and another plane was to leave later in the day, with about 270 out of 465 Indians who were repatriated.
The remainder will leave Thailand on Monday, according to Maj Gen Maitree Chupreecha, commander of the Thai army’s Naresuan Task Force.
Those currently being repatriated are among more than 1,500 people from 28 nations who fled the raid in Myawaddy.
State media in Myanmar said the raid on KK Park was part of operations starting in early September to suppress cross-border online scams and illegal gambling.
Since the raid, witnesses and the Thai army have said that parts of KK Park were demolished by explosions.
However, independent Myanmar media have reported that organised criminal scams in Myanmar continue to operate in the Myawaddy area. — AP
