Crime BGF Deports Ethiopian Nationals Involved in Call Centre Scam from Myanmar

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

In the ongoing crackdown on transnational crime, Myanmar’s Border Guard Force (BGF) in Myawaddy has handed over 90 Ethiopian nationals involved in illicit call centre operations run by the so-called “Grey Chinese” network. The repatriation operation took place across the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge II, located at Ban Wang Takhian Tai in Mae Sot District, Tak Province.

 

The group, consisting of 73 men and 17 women, had been apprehended in Myawaddy, Karen State, opposite Thailand’s Mae Sot, as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle illegal operations in the border region. The individuals were officially received by Mr Wendwosen Melkamu, Deputy Secretary of the Ethiopian Embassy in India, who will facilitate their return to their home country.

 

Following their handover, Thai immigration authorities in Tak recorded the group’s biometric and identity data in accordance with local procedures. The repatriation will proceed with logistical arrangements from the Ethiopian authorities.

 

Colonel Natthakorn Rueantip, commander of the Rachamanu Special Task Force in Mae Sot, stated that Thai authorities have continually supported cross-border cooperation in the crackdown on foreign criminal activity. Since the beginning of this operation, over 8,000 foreign nationals have already been repatriated, with more than 1,200 still remaining in Myanmar, including over 300 Chinese nationals, as well as individuals from Ethiopia and Vietnam.

 

Colonel Natthakorn emphasised that while Thailand is ready to assist with deportations at any time, the process often depends on the readiness and willingness of the respective embassies and home countries to receive their nationals.

 

The ongoing efforts are part of a broader regional campaign to eradicate illegal call centre operations that have exploited vulnerable individuals across Southeast Asia, often under coercive or deceptive circumstances.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-05-15.