By Safiya Mohammed Bello
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), has rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths who were trafficked to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries for cyber criminal activities.
In a statement on Wednesday, NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, disclosed that the rescue operation was carried out in collaboration with authorities in Myanmar, with critical support from the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok.
According to the agency, the victims were trafficked to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, where they were allegedly compelled to engage in romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud and fake investment schemes.
Investigation indicated that the traffickers deliberately target tech-savvy youths and individuals with clean health records. Upon arrival, the victims were trained in scamming techniques and, in some cases, enrolled in Chinese language classes before being deployed as online “customer care” agents to defraud targets.
The victims were reportedly forced to target individuals and organisations in the United States, United Kingdom, Ethiopia and Canada.
Those who failed to meet targets or refused to cooperate were subjected to torture, including confinement in what victims described as a “dark room.” Some of the rescued youths also alleged cases of organ harvesting, particularly involving younger victims with no history of smoking.
Describing the trend as alarming, the agency vowed that it would intensify efforts to dismantle the trafficking syndicate behind the operation.
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