Myanmar jails 18 Nepalis for online scam & gambling operations

KATHMANDU: Myanmar authorities have sentenced 18 Nepali nationals to one year in prison for their involvement in illegal online scam and gambling operations.

The individuals were employed at unauthorized scam centers in Shwe Kokko and KK Park, located in the Myawaddy region near the Thailand border.

The sentencing affects 18 Nepalis among a total of 495 foreign nationals, marking the first instance where Nepali workers at such centers have received jail terms rather than being rescued.

The Nepalis have been in custody for approximately two months.

The Nepali Embassy in Myanmar has been coordinating with local authorities to clarify the legal grounds for the sentences and to ensure the rights of the detainees are protected.

Embassy officials have also been working with Thailand authorities in joint rescue operations targeting scam centers along the Thailand–Myanmar border.

Over the past three fiscal years, a total of 368 Nepalis have been rescued from such centers.

The individuals, aged between 17 and 41, had been employed at these locations for periods ranging from two months to 18 months.

Many were lured to Myanmar with offers of employment in digital marketing, customer service, and other professional roles, only to have their passports confiscated and be forced to work under tight security.

The Nepali Embassy in Bangkok has been issuing continuous travel advisories since Shrawan 2080 after reports surfaced of stranded Nepalis in scam operations along the Cambodia–Thailand, Myanmar–Thailand, and Laos borders.

Subsequent rescue operations, coordinated with the Thai government, have treated the victims as survivors of human trafficking.

Myanmar has intensified its crackdown on telecom fraud and online gambling, classifying them as national priority crimes and launching comprehensive control operations across the border regions.