The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that at least 74 Kenyans have been rescued from a human trafficking ring in Myanmar.
In a statement sent to the newsrooms, the Ministry said that 24 Kenyans were among a batch of 261 foreigners rescued by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) in the Asian nation on February 12.
Their release followed months of delicate negotiations led by the Kenyan Embassy in Thailand in conjunction with various partners in Thailand and Myanmar.
“The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs confirms that on 12th February 2025, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) successfully negotiated for the release of 261 foreigners from 18 nationalities; 24 of these were Kenyans. 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,” read the statement in part.
On Tuesday, a second batch of 46 Kenyans were rescued by the Border Guard Force (BGF) of Thailand and DBKA.
The 46 Kenyans however will remain in the Myanmar territory before they are handed to the Thai government.
“The 46 Kenyans will remain in Myanmar territory pending their handing over to the Thai government. They are among hundreds of other foreigners trafficked to Myanmar late last year and used forcefully to commit various online crimes including scamming, fraud, identity theft, phishing, romance scams, and cryptocurrency scams,” the Ministry stated.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The victims were rescued from scam centers located within regions predominantly controlled by rebel groups fighting the Myanmar government.
The Ministry also noted that another four Kenyans escaped to Thailand on February 8, 2025, and were rescued by Thai civilians before being handed over to security authorities at the border area.
The four Kenyans are being processed by immigration authorities before being repatriated back home.
The Ministry warned Kenyans against traveling to Myanmar for jobs purported to be in Thailand, only to end up in scam compounds in Myanmar.
“The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs continues to caution against traveling to Myanmar for jobs purported to be in Thailand, only to end up in scam compounds in Myanmar. Kenyans should be aware that traffickers use Thailand as a trapdoor to lure vulnerable Youth into Myanmar,” the Ministry added.
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