India Begins Repatriation of Citizens Escaping Myanmar’s Cybercrime Hub KK Park

India has launched a large-scale repatriation mission to bring home its citizens who fled Myanmar’s notorious cybercrime zone near the Thai border, marking the latest effort to rescue trafficked workers trapped in regional scam networks. The first batch of 270 Indians boarded an Indian Air Force transport aircraft from Thailand on Thursday as authorities continued processing more escapees.

These citizens were among hundreds who fled KK Park — a massive criminal compound near Myawaddy — following a military operation by Myanmar’s Army in October. The complex has long been identified as a major centre for online fraud, forced cybercrime labour, and illegal gambling operations run by powerful syndicates across Southeast Asia.

The Myanmar Army’s sudden offensive triggered panic inside KK Park, prompting more than 450 Indians and workers from several countries to escape across the border into Thailand. Thai authorities, led by Maj. Gen. Maitree Chupreecha of the Naresuan Task Force, have established shelters in Mae Sot to handle the influx of over 1,500 foreign nationals from 28 countries.

Officials confirmed that another Indian Air Force flight is scheduled to depart later in the day, with additional repatriations expected next Monday. This marks India’s second major rescue operation this year; in March, 549 citizens were flown home after a similar crackdown on scam compounds in the same region.

Southeast Asia continues to be the global epicentre of cyber fraud operations. UN estimates place the annual revenue of these criminal networks at nearly USD 40 billion. Many workers caught in these centres are lured with promises of legitimate IT or customer-service jobs but quickly find themselves coerced into running fake romance scams, investment fraud, cryptocurrency schemes, and online gambling traps.

Myanmar’s state media has stated that the raid on KK Park is part of an expanded campaign to dismantle transnational scam partnerships. Witness accounts reported explosions and partial demolition of the compound. However, independent outlets such as The Irrawaddy have noted that several smaller scam centres around Myawaddy remain operational.

The international community has intensified pressure on the region’s cybercrime syndicates. In the last month alone, the United States and United Kingdom imposed sanctions against the masterminds of a major Cambodian scam network, while American prosecutors indicted the alleged ringleader in New York. South Korea has also been shaken by reports of a young man murdered in Cambodia after being deceived into working for a scam organisation.

For India, the latest repatriation underscores the scale of trafficking and fraud emerging from Southeast Asian borders. As citizens return home, authorities are expected to intensify investigations into the recruitment pipelines and agents responsible for sending workers into these dangerous scam hubs.