Bangkok — The recent abduction of a Chinese TV actor to Myanmar and his subsequent release is shedding new light on the lengths to which human traffickers operating online scam centers in the war-torn country will go to in order to lure would-be victims.
Chinese actor Wang Xing went missing on January 3, in Mae Sot, a city in northern Thailand, which borders Myanmar. Two days later his family reported him missing, and with growing cries on social media, the case prompted Thai and Chinese authorities to act.
Last week, on January 7, Thai authorities say they found Wang in Myanmar and brought him back to Thailand.
Thai police said Wang was trafficked across the Thai-Myanmar border and held captive at KK Park in Myawaddy, which is notorious for its illegal scam operations.
According to local media reports, Wang was lured to Thailand under the false pretense of a film audition. He received the job offer via social media platform WeChat. Wang flew to Bangkok and was transported to Myanmar.
Wang’s head was shaved. He was held captive and forced into training on how to perform online scams, according to media reports. He said there were 50 other Chinese nationals in similar circumstances.
After his rescue and return to Thailand, Wang, 31, flew to Shanghai on Friday.
Wang’s rescue has prompted others to speak out and according to state media in China, the families of some 174 individuals have been circulating a joint letter on Chinese social media asking for help. According to the letter, family members say their loved ones are trapped in northern and eastern Myanmar.
Experts say Wang’s case highlights the growing sophistication of the masterminds of scam operations.
“This is a very deliberate form of kidnapping, of hostage taking, that you’re seeing these scam syndicates now go about. The means of trafficking people into these compounds is increasingly changing,” Jason Tower, the Myanmar country director at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), told VOA.
“This shows how these criminal actors are adapting and going to greater lengths to lure people of a wide range of demographics into captivity, to either suck funds out of them directly or get them involved in forced labor criminality,” he said.
At least one other Chinese national, Wu Jiaqi, 21, was also rescued from captivity in Myanmar in recent days, local media report.
The targeting of Chinese citizens by criminal gangs in Southeast Asia has become a growing problem in recent years.
Chen, a Chinese national who withheld his full name for security concerns, toldRadio Free Asia in 2023 that he was a trafficking victim in a scam compound in Myanmar, and that there were at least 1,000 Chinese nationals also trapped, with scam bosses demanding $30,000 per individual for their release.
Many illegal scam centers in Southeast Asia are linked with Chinese criminal networks operating in the region, experts say. Individuals from all over the world are lured into false business opportunities and forced into scam compounds.
A report in June by the United States Institute of Peace revealed that scam centers operating in Southeast Asia countries, including Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar have swindled billions of dollars. All three countries share borders with Thailand.
“This is becoming a greater and greater problem. These Chinese criminal syndicates are quite deeply embedded in all of Thailand’s neighboring countries, but they are in Thailand as well,” Tower added.
Nikorndej Balankura, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, said last week that combatting cross-border crimes is a national priority.
“Thailand has consistently emphasized the importance of regular cooperation to promote border peace and security and combat cross-border crimes, including illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, telecom and online fraud. The Thai government attaches great importance to combatting cross-border crimes and considers it a national priority,” he told local media.
But Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a Thai political scientist, told VOA that the fight against transnational crime needs more support from Thai law enforcement and officials.
“Thailand is the vortex and nexus of scam centers and other transnational crimes. It is also a country with endemic corruption and decayed institutions, particularly the police force,” he said.
Scammers are a big problem for China and telecom fraud has been a persistent concern in recent years with Beijing passing a telecom and online fraud law in December 2022.
Chinese authorities have increased public information campaigns and even tried to use draconian tactics to deter its citizens from visiting Southeast Asia, Tower said.
“In 2022, a narrative started to emerge that going to Thailand could result in getting trafficked into Myanmar and losing your kidneys,” he said. “Later on, you started to see that the police will make phone calls to people when they book tickets to ask them what they’re doing in Southeast Asia.”
The Chinese language movie “No More Bets,” released in August 2023, depicts Chinese tourists visiting an unnamed Southeast Asian country, only to be trafficked into a scam compound and forced into labor.
Benedikt Hofmann, the deputy representative Southeast Asia and the Pacific for the U.N. Office for Drugs and Crime, said that despite warnings, individuals are still being fooled.
“We are still seeing a lot of this despite the massive efforts that have gone into raising awareness of the risks — things like the movie “No More Bets” really brought a lot attention to this — which really shows how effective these groups are in creating incentives for young people to go there,” Hoffman said.
Chinese tourism in Thailand could also be affected. Chinese nationals are the biggest visitors to Thailand, with more than 6 million arrivals in 2024.
But reports in Hong Kong say many tourists from China are cancelling their trips ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations which begin on January 27.
Thailand’s tourism bureau has attempted to reassure Chinese visitors, publishing a press release in Mandarin on January 10, stating that Thailand “attaches great importance to the safety of tourists.”
On Sunday, Thai and Chinese authorities held a high-level meeting to discuss strengthening cooperation in combatting transnational crime and human trafficking.
VOA reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok for comment on the case and growing concerns but did not receive a response.
Vincent Vichit-Vadakan, a Bangkok-based travel analyst, said he doesn’t believe the recent cases will have a long-term impact on Thailand as a tourist destination.
“Hopefully these high-profile cases will prompt Thai and Chinese authorities to find more effective ways to prevent criminals from using Thailand as a hub for their activities,” he told VOA.
…