India to question citizens who worked in Myanmar cyberscam centres

Indian citizens who worked in the cyberscam compounds of Myanmar will be “questioned” about their activities during their employment period, official sources said on Thursday (November 6, 2025) as India brought back 270 nationals who had earlier taken refuge in Thailand after fleeing the scam centres of Myawaddy where the Myanmar military carried out operations in the last week of October.

Earlier on November 6 evening, two special flights operated by the Indian Air Force flew back 270 Indian nationals including 26 women from Chiang Mai in Thailand to Hindon airbase in Uttar Pradesh. These individuals were among hundreds of international workers who were forced to leave the cyberscam centres that were operating out of Myawaddy taking advantage of the lax cyber infrastructure of Myanmar.

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Officials here said that the people who are being flown back will not be allowed to go back home immediately as the relevant investigating agencies are trying to find out more details about how they ended up there and what all activities they were participating in.

“The idea behind the questioning is not just about finding out how these scam centres operate but also to find out how to prevent similar people from joining such transnational networks,” said a source aware of the processes. The official further said that the investigation would look into the Indian parts and possible accomplices of these networks and how they recruit young men and women to fly to such locations.

On October 29, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had announced that around five hundred Indian nationals who had entered Thailand from Myanmar after sustained military operation by Myanmar military in Myawaddy would be airlifted by the Government of India. These individuals were employed in K.K. Cyber crime hub in Myawaddy which is known to have conned thousands of innocent online victims across the world including many in India. In recent weeks, China too has evacuated some of its nationals from Thailand who were earlier employed in Myanmar’s cyberscam sector. Indian sources had earlier corroborated the claim by the Thai Prime Minister Charnvirakul who has described the scam centres of Myanmar as a threat to Thailand’s economic stability and national credibility.

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“Indian embassies in Thailand and Myanmar are working with the respective host governments to secure repatriation of those Indians who were allegedly involved in scamming activities and are still in Myanmar,” said the Indian embassy in Bangkok on November 6, indicating that there are more Indian nationals who remain employed in the cyberscam outfits of Myanmar. The Indian embassy in Bangkok has “strongly advised” Indian citizens to “verify the credentials of foreign employers and check the antecedents of recruiting agents and companies before taking up a job offer overseas”.

In its announcement on November 6, the Indian embassy in Thailand said, “Further, visa free entry into Thailand for Indian passport holders is meant for tourism and short business purposes only, and should not be misused for taking up employment in Thailand.”