TAIWAN: Fifty-five Taiwanese citizens were repatriated from Myanmar on 7 May 2025, after being involved in or falling victim to scam rings operating in the region.
The group, consisting of 51 men and four women aged between 19 and 62, arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on two separate flights from Bangkok, according to the National Police Agency (NPA).
Among the returnees, 25 individuals are wanted by Taiwanese authorities on charges including fraud, drug-related crimes, money laundering, and theft. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) revealed that 13 of the wanted individuals were involved in fraud cases.
One of the key suspects is a 32-year-old man surnamed Chuang (莊), wanted for five outstanding fraud warrants and considered a significant target in a CIB anti-fraud operation known as “Operation Fox Hunt.”
Another notable suspect is a 39-year-old man surnamed Tien (田), wanted on seven warrants, along with a 20-year-old man surnamed Huang (黃). Both were identified during a crackdown on fraud suspects returning during the Lunar New Year period.
The remaining 30 individuals have not been charged but are under investigation to determine if they were unwitting victims or accomplices.
According to the NPA, some had travelled to Thailand under the false premise of selling luxury goods or escaping debt. Prosecutors will assess whether these individuals were coerced into criminal activities or were exploited through human trafficking.
Myanmar has faced growing international pressure to crack down on scam operations, particularly those near the Thai border. These illicit centres often coerce victims into conducting telecommunications fraud.
In February 2025, the NPA, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), dispatched officers to the Myanmar-Thailand border to facilitate communication and support the repatriation of Taiwanese nationals.
The crackdown followed President Lai Ching-te’s expression of concern over increasing cases of Taiwanese citizens being lured to Southeast Asia through deceptive job offers.
In February, Interior Minister Liu Shih-fang convened a cross-departmental meeting to coordinate efforts to rescue affected nationals and dismantle the criminal networks involved.
Local trafficking ring linked to Myanmar scam operations
In a related development, the CIB uncovered a human trafficking ring in Taiwan that lured victims to Myanmar’s “Taihe” scam centre with promises of high-paying jobs.
The arrests took place in March 2025 in New Taipei City and Taichung City, targeting four individuals suspected of recruiting and trafficking Taiwanese nationals.
The operation was a coordinated effort involving the CIB’s Second Investigation Brigade, the Haishan and Linkou Precincts of the New Taipei City Police, and the Fourth Precinct of the Taichung City Police. Six mobile phones used in the crime were confiscated.
Case of deception and coercion
The investigation revealed that the trafficking ring targeted job seekers through online advertisements promising lucrative roles in cryptocurrency trading or loan processing abroad. One victim, using the pseudonym “Ah Shun” (阿順), recounted how a friend introduced him to a high-paying cryptocurrency job in Thailand.
Once he arrived, he was taken by armed men to the Myanmar-Thai border and then forced into a scam centre in Myanmar.
At the centre, Ah Shun and others were forced to participate in telecommunications fraud. The operation included a fraudulent skills assessment, with poor performance resulting in physical punishment, including beatings and electric shocks.
After escaping and returning to Taiwan, Ah Shun was interviewed, and his case was confirmed as human trafficking.
Sophisticated recruitment tactics
According to the NPA, traffickers employed sophisticated tactics to separate victims from their support networks. Suspects Chu and Jiang were found to be local coordinators, while Li and Huang were responsible for recruiting individuals within Taiwan.
The group arranged travel logistics through overseas contacts, making it harder for authorities to trace their movements.
Authorities stated that victims were often led to believe they were travelling independently to reduce suspicion. Upon arriving in Thailand, they were collected by traffickers and transported to scam centres along the Myanmar border.
The NPA warned the public to be vigilant about job offers abroad, particularly those that advertise high salaries with minimal skill requirements. Authorities stressed that such opportunities often mask human trafficking operations, resulting in severe exploitation and even loss of life.
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