“Indonesian Job Seekers Trapped in Myanmar: Police Identify Fake Recruiters in Human Trafficking Case”

The Indonesian police have apprehended the fake recruiters who sent 20 job seekers to Myanmar to work as cyber scammers. The investigation is still ongoing, and the police are collaborating with relevant authorities, including the immigration office, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and Indonesia’s diplomatic missions. The victims are currently trapped in Myawaddy, Myanmar, which is experiencing clashes between Myanmar military and Karen rebels, hampering the Myanmar government’s efforts to follow up on the complaints sent by the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon. To combat human trafficking, the Foreign Ministry has partnered with the Regional Support Office of the Bali Process in Bangkok, The International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the International Justice Mission (IJM). The victims were promised high-paying jobs in Thailand but were instead coerced into carrying out cyber scams on crypto websites or apps in Myanmar. The scammers have also demanded payment from the victims to release them.