M'sian Recounts How He & His Friend Were Sold By Human Traffickers To Scammers In Myanmar
They were lured by a 'friend'.
By Melissa Alvina — 12 Oct 2023, 02:53 PM
Earlier this year, a 22-year-old Sarawakian man and his female friend flew to Thailand for a business opportunity but found themselves at the mercy of a human trafficking syndicate that sold them to scammers in Laukkaing, Myanmar
According to Bernama, the man, identified by his first name David, had received the business proposition from an individual, whom he described as "more like an acquaintance".
According to David, this man, who was in a WhatsApp group with him, also offered to cover the travel expenses of David and his friend, Laura (not her real name).
However, upon their arrival at Chiang Mai International Airport, the duo were abducted by a taxi driver and an accomplice, believed to be Myanmar nationals.They were threatened at gunpoint, and their personal belongings, including passports and phones, were confiscated.
David and Laura were taken to Laukkaing, northern Myanmar, where they were expected to scam users on Xiaohongshu, also known as Chinese Instagram, into buying cryptocurrency
Held captive in a heavily guarded eight-storey building, the duo were given three days to learn to use the Chinese social media platform, which would be used to scam the users.
David and Laura, however, declined to do the job and when they tried to leave, a ransom was demanded for their release.
It was a stroke of luck when three days later, a group of local soldiers checked on their building, found them, and relocated them to Pangkham, which was about nine hours by road from Myanmar to the Thailand border, reported Bernama.
Once they arrived at the location, they immediately contacted their families.
After learning of David and Laura's whereabouts, their family members reached out to Victor Wong, an influential Thai-based Malaysian businessman to help rescue them
Unable to pass the checkpoint, Wong employed some Myanmar nationals to pick up David and Laura and transport them to Tachileik, where the Thai Army aided their border crossing.
"David's mother wanted him to go to the (Myanmar) police but I wasn't sure it would work. They might get into trouble because they had been smuggled in," Bernama quoted him as saying.
Wong also admitted that his methods to save the duo deviated from standard procedures. Nevertheless, he believed it was the only viable option for their safety.
According to Bernama, Wong has previously collaborated with Malaysian police and the Malaysian embassy in Thailand to facilitate the rescue of human trafficking victims.
Following this case, Bernama also reported that MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong has facilitated the rescue of 58 out of 170 reported trafficking victims between March 2022 and 6 October 2023, with many being stranded in various countries.
