KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 6

Fourteen Nepali nationals who were lured to Myanmar under various false promises and forced to work in illegal online scamming centers have been rescued and brought back home through the coordinated efforts of the Embassy of Nepal in Bangkok and the concerned authorities of Myanmar and Thailand.

According to the embassy, the rescued individuals were taken from Myawaddy, Myanmar, to Tak Province, Thailand, via the Mae Sot Immigration Office, and repatriated to Nepal on Nepal Airlines flight RA402 today.

Efforts are also underway to bring back 11 more Nepalis still stranded in Myanmar, with close coordination between the embassy and officials from both Myanmar and Thailand.

The embassy further informed that since October 19, more than 2,000 foreigners from 28 countries, including 38 Nepali nationals, had crossed into Thailand from various scam centers operating in Myawaddy. Coordination with Thai authorities continues to facilitate the repatriation of those remaining Nepalis, the embassy stated.

Issuing an appeal, the embassy urged all Nepali citizens to travel abroad for employment only after obtaining official labor approval as mandated by the Government of Nepal, and not to fall prey to false promises of easy money in countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand.

The Embassy of Nepal in Bangkok also requested the media and civil society to help spread awareness and prevent more Nepalis from becoming victims of such fraudulent schemes.