The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued and repatriated 23 youths suspected to be victims of human trafficking from Thailand.
The agency said the operation was carried out with the support and collaboration of Eden (Myanmar), with assistance from the British government.
The victims who have arrived in Nigeria were deceived, recruited, and trafficked to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, for cyber-enabled crimes such as romance scams, cryptocurrency-related fraud, and investment scams in the destination countries.
The trafficker, according to NAPTIP, lures boys and girls skilled in computer and IT, and those who do not drink alcohol or smoke with the promise of scholarship and gainful employment.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, in a statement by its Head of Press and Public Relations Unit, Vincent Adekoye, alerted the new activities of the traffickers and called for the collaboration of stakeholders.
According to her, “This is a new dimension of the human trafficking phenomenon that targets vibrant and intelligent Nigerians. The trafficker goes after boys and girls who have one skill or the other, but preferably computer and IT skills, and those who do not drink alcohol or smoke. They promised them a scholarship and gainful employment.
“On arrival at the destination country, the victims are trained on various methods of scam. Some of them are enrolled in the language school, preferably Chinese, and, within the shortest time, graduate as translators and are offered the role of customer care to deceive their targets.
“The victims explained that they were compelled to target individuals and organisations from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Ethiopia, and Canada for romance scams, investment scams, cryptocurrency scams, and other online fraud.
“They disclosed that they were accommodated in a hostel with bunks and provided with all the necessary gadgets, and were forced to go after their targets. They are monitored by fierce-looking mafia guys who also torture any of them who refuse to meet their daily targets.”
She continued: “The victims also explained that while a few of them who refused to do the bidding of the traffickers are tortured to death inside the horror chamber called ‘the dark room’, others had their organs harvested, especially the young ones with non-smoking history.
“This is a new dimension in trafficking to destination countries in the Southeast Asian region, and it is disturbing. We have reactivated our various connections so that, with the support of partners, this deadly trafficking syndicate will be dislodged and the ringleaders arrested”.
Bello commended the support and collaboration of members of the Civil Society organisation in the South Asia Region, Eden (Myanmar), the British Government, and also the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.
She said the embassy played a significant role in facilitating the repatriation process, including the issuance of Emergency Travel Certificates (ETCs) for some of the victims.
Source: The Nation
