Over 70 Kenyans rescued from Myanmar scam call centres

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that at 74 Kenyans are among hundreds of foreigners who have been rescued from a human trafficking syndicate in the country.

Their rescue follows months of negotiations spearheaded by the Kenyan embassy in Thailand, among other stakeholders.

“The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs confirms that on 12th February 2025, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) successfully negotiated for the release of 261 foreigners from 18 nationalities; 24 of these were Kenyans.

“The release of the Kenyans followed months of delicate negotiations spearheaded by the Kenya Embassy in Thailand in conjunction with various partners in Thailand and Myanmar,” the ministry said.

According to the ministry, these Kenyans had been duped into security jobs in Myanmar but ended up working in scam call centres located in regions controlled by rebel groups fighting the Myanmar government.

On Tuesday, 46 Kenyans were rescued by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and the Border Guard Force (BCF).

The first 24 Kenyans were released last week from a batch of 261 foreigners released following months of negotiations.

Another four Kenyans had escaped to Thailand on February 8, 2025, and were rescued by Thai civilians before they were handed over to security authorities at the border area.

“They are among hundreds of other foreigners trafficked to Myanmar late last year and used forcefully to commit various online crimes including scamming, fraud, identify theft, phishing, romance scams, and cryptocurrency scams.”

The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs warned Kenyans against traveling to Myanmar for jobs purported to be in Thailand, only to end up in scam compounds in Myanmar.

It said the trafficking ring uses Thailand as a place to lure vulnerable youths into rebel controlled areas in Myanmar.

“Kenyans should be aware that traffickers use Thailand as a trapdoor to lure vulnerable Youth into Myanmar. The Ministry calls upon Kenyans interested in jobs advertised in Thailand to get in touch with the Ministry or the Kenya Embassy in Bangkok to authenticate any such offers before traveling abroad.”