- Title: Hundreds of Indonesians rescued from Myanmar scam centres arrive home
- Date: 18th March 2025
- Summary: TANGERANG, BANTEN PROVINCE, INDONESIA (MARCH 18, 2025) (REUTERS) AIRPORT SECURITY IN FRONT OF EXIT GATE VARIOUS OF RESCUED INDONESIAN NATIONALS WALKING OUT FROM EXIT GATE ESCORTED BY OFFICIALS RESCUED INDONESIAN NATIONALS BOARDING BUS RESCUED INDONESIAN NATIONALS SITTING INSIDE BUS (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) 19-YEAR-OLD VICTIM FROM WEST SUMATRA, WHO DECLINED TO GIVE HI
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Indonesia Myanmar airport authority centres extradition nationals online gambling rescue scam security
- Location: TANGERANG, INDONESIA
- City: TANGERANG, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA002959718032025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Indonesia will question hundreds of its citizens arriving in the capital on Tuesday (March 18) after they were rescued from online scam compounds in Myanmar, the largest batch of arrivals in the country following a multinational crackdown on the operation.
Footage showed the arriving Indonesians wearing red masks and bandanas and being welcomed by authorities, including foreign minister Sugiono, after landing. Some of them cried and hugged the officials.
A total of 554 Indonesians would arrive at Jakarta's airport on Tuesday and Wednesday (March 19) from Myawaddy via Thailand, the chief security minister, Budi Gunawan, said in a news conference.
The arrivals would then be taken to a dormitory usually reserved for hajj pilgrims where they will be questioned by police to determine if they were victims or perpetrators, he said.
Budi said some of them were beaten and electrocuted before being rescued. Others were also threatened that their body parts would be taken if they failed to meet targets set by the cartel, he added.
Earlier this month, another group of 84 Indonesians returned home from Myanmar while 70 others remain in the country.
Myanmar's Myawaddy scam centres are part of a Southeast Asia network involving criminal gangs trafficking hundreds of thousands of people to help generate illicit revenues running into billions of dollars a year, according to the United Nations.
(Production: Johan Purnomo, Heru Asprihanto) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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