Himal Press 
Photo Courtesy: Embassy of Nepal, Bangkok
KATHMANDU: A total of 47 Nepalis rescued from scam centres in Myanmar are returning to Nepal from Bangkok on Wednesday.
According to a statement issued by the Embassy of Nepal in Bangkok, they were flown to Kathmandu on a Nepal Airlines flight from Bangkok.
The embassy said the victims had been taken to Myanmar through various forms of deception and forced to work illegally in online scamming centres involved in online dating fraud, online casinos, gaming, and phishing schemes, cryptocurrency scams, and similar activities.
The rescued 47 individuals, including two women, are from 26 districts: one person each from Chitwan, Dailekh, Kaski, Kathmandu, Kavre, Palpa, Ramechhap, Rautahat, Salyan, Sarlahi, Sindhuli, Taplejung, and Tehrathum; two each from Dang, Mahottari, Morang, Nawalparasi, Nuwakot, Syangja, and Tanahun; three each from Dhading, Gorkha, Rupandehi, Sindhupalchok, and Udayapur; and five are from Jhapa.
“One individual is 17 years old, 26 individuals are between 20 and 25, 10 are between 26 and 30, eight are between 31 and 35, and one each is 40 and 41 years old. Most have completed 10+2 or have studied information technology,” the embassy said. “They were found to have been involved in the scam centres for periods ranging from two to 18 months.”
According to those rescued, they had reached Myanmar after being contacted by various individuals, friends, online acquaintances, and gaming partners on platforms such as PUBG, and through advertisements on social media.
“Employment offers circulate on WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, and other social media platforms, claiming high hourly earnings in Kathmandu. Once a person responds, further contact is established, and they are enticed with promises of jobs such as office assistant, call centre agent, computer operator or receptionist in attractive foreign destinations, with salaries exceeding Rs 100,000. They are then transported through various channels to scam centres,” the statement added.
The Embassy of Nepal in Bangkok repatriated 68 Nepalis after rescuing them from such scam centers in fiscal year 2023/24, 156 in 2024/25, and 141 so far in the current fiscal year.
