Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday February 18 announced that tens of Kenyans were rescued from scam compounds in Myanmar after delicate negotiations.
According to the MFA, authorities rescued 261 foreigners among them 24 Kenyans.
“The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) successfully negotiated for the release of 261 foreigners from 18 nationalities; 24 of these were Kenyans,” the statement read in part.
It added, “The release of the Kenyans followed months of delicate negotiations spearheaded by the Kenya Embassy in Thailand in conjunction with various partners in Thailand and Myanmar. “
At the same time, DKBA and Border Guard Force (BGF) rescued another batch of 46 Kenyans.
Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the 46 will remain in Myanmar pending their handing over to the Thai government.
Kenyans among those rescued
They are among hundreds of other foreigners trafficked to Myanmar late last year and used forcefully to commit various online crimes including scamming, fraud, identify theft, phishing, romance scams and cryptocurrency scams
The Kenyans and other nationals were rescued from scam centers located within regions predominantly controlled by rebel groups fighting the Myanmar government, thereby making it difficult for rescue operations.
In most cases, the criminals target English- or Chinese-speaking individuals.
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While some comply with conducting the fraud, those who refuse to participate in the scams are often subjected to harrowing experiences, including having ransom demanded from their families.
Despite efforts by the Kenyan government to secure the release of ten citizens, cartels in Myanmar demanded ransom, claiming that they had “bought” the Kenyans as slaves
Kenya warns jobseekers
The Ministry further confirmed that another 4 Kenyans escaped to Thailand on 8th February 2025 and were rescued by Thai civilians before being handed over to security authorities at the border area.
In addition, the four Kenyans are safe and are being processed by immigration authorities before being repatriated back home.
The rescue operation followed a meeting between Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they discussed measures to eliminate scam centres in Myanmar
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However, Kenyan government cautioned against traveling to Myanmar for jobs purported to be in Thailand, only to end up in scam compounds in Myanmar.
According to the MFA, Kenyans should be aware that traffickers use Thailand as a trapdoor to lure vulnerable youth into Myanmar.
Also, the MFA called upon Kenyans interested in jobs advertised in Thailand to get in touch with the Ministry or the Kenya Embassy in Bangkok to authenticate any such offers before traveling abroad
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