Eight Lankans rescued from cyber slave camp in Myanmar

Eight Sri Lankans who were being held captive against their will at an unauthorized cyber slave camp in Myanmar have been rescued, confirmed Janak Bandara, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Myanmar.

The Government of Myanmar intervened to carry out the rescue efforts.

The rescued group including six males and two females are being kept at the Myawaddy Central Police Station in Myanmar and efforts are in place to bring them back to their home country, according to Ambassador Bandara.

A group of Sri Lankans were reportedly trafficked to Myanmar via the border with Thailand in December after being enticed with tourist visas under the pretense of attractive employment opportunities in the Information Technology (IT) industry.

It was alleged that these workers had left Sri Lanka without registering with the Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE).

It was claimed that the Sri Lankans who were forcibly arrested at the terrorist camp in Myawaddy, an area where cybercrimes are rampant and controlled by an armed gang, were being used as cyber-soldiers who were coerced into perpetrating online frauds.

Around 56 Sri Lankans who were trapped in Myanmar as victims of human trafficking are being rescued and repatriated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Myanmar.

At the time, reports surfaced that the terrorist group was allegedly abusing the group of Sri Lankans and demanding USD 8,000 per person in exchange for their release.

The Sri Lankan Embassy was able to free 32 hostages last year alone after holding talks with the relevant authorities in Myanmar.

Following that, discussions to free the remaining 56 Lankan hostages were taking place between the authorities of Sri Lanka and Myanmar.