India Plans Rescue Operation to Airlift 540 Citizens Trapped in Myanmar

The Indian government is set to launch a significant rescue operation on March 10-11, deploying a C-17 military aircraft to repatriate 540 Indian citizens ensnared in scam call centers in Myawaddy, Myanmar. These individuals, many deceived by fraudulent job offers, have been stranded near the Thai-Myanmar border, some for weeks, awaiting rescue.

The operation, coordinated by Indian embassy officials and Myanmar’s Border Guard Force, involves transporting the trapped citizens across the border to Mae Sot, Thailand. From there, two special flights will bring them back to India. The effort follows reports of dire conditions in detention centers, with victims describing inadequate food—sometimes only one meal a day—and poor facilities, particularly near the border where over 500 people are held in tent-like camps without proper sanitation.

One Indian national at the Myawaddy detention center noted, “The accommodation is decent with AC rooms, but food is scarce.” In contrast, conditions at the border were described as far worse, with mobile phones confiscated upon arrival. The rescue comes amid a broader crackdown on international cybercrime syndicates exploiting Southeast Asia’s instability, particularly in Myanmar, where such scam centers have proliferated.

The Indian citizens, lured by promises of legitimate work, were trafficked into Myawaddy—a notorious hub for cyber scams—and forced into fraudulent operations targeting victims globally. This airlift marks a significant step in India’s response to the crisis, which has seen over 600 nationals rescued from similar scams across Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand since June 2022. The operation underscores the urgency of addressing human trafficking and cybercrime networks that have trapped thousands, with estimates suggesting nearly 2,000 Indians remain involved—some willingly—in Myawaddy’s scam ecosystem.