Over 2,400 Indians repatriated from Myanmar cyber scam compounds, 150 still trapped: MEA

Addressing a special briefing on the visit of Myanmar's President to India, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that India has been working closely with Myanmar on the issue and continues efforts to bring back those still stranded.

"Over the course of the last year and a half, we have been able to repatriate over 2,400 Indian citizens from cyber scam compounds in Myanmar, especially in the bordering regions of Southeast Myanmar. As of now, from the latest counts, we have slightly over 150-odd Indian citizens that we know of who are still stuck in some of these cyber scam compounds. So 2,411 people have been repatriated," Misri said.

He said India remains in touch with the Myanmar government to secure the return of the remaining citizens and also underlined that many Indian nationals are trafficked to these scam compounds through third countries, highlighting the need for broader regional coordination.

"It underlines the need for not just more bilateral cooperation related to this issue, which is also a security issue between the two countries, but also the need for greater regional cooperation on this matter," he said.

The briefing comes after the high-level bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing at the Hyderabad House in the national capital, with Misri noting that the issue was raised during the discussions today, along with several bilateral engagements between India and Myanmar in the past.

KK Park, located in Myanmar's Myawaddy region, is well known among global law enforcement agencies for running large-scale online fraud operations. Reports suggest the compound and nearby facilities are controlled by Chinese criminal syndicates and supported by local armed groups allied with Myanmar's military. (AI)