The Indian nationals, who are believed to have worked at a fraud center in Myanmar, boarded a plane at Thailand’s Mae Sot International Airport in Tak and were sent back to India on Thursday. | Photo credit: Sarot Meksophawannakul
Twelve Telangana residents are set to return to Hyderabad after being rescued from a cyber fraud hub in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region as part of India’s ongoing repatriation of citizens caught up in cybercrime operations in Southeast Asia.
The twelve are among 270 Indians who were flown back to India from Thailand on Thursday by a military aircraft as part of the first phase of repatriation. They fled Myanmar’s conflict-torn border region following a military crackdown on cybercrime in KK Park, where hundreds of Indians were “forced” to work in online fraud operations.
A bus believed to have been carrying Indian nationals who worked at a fraud center in Myanmar crosses the 2nd Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sot, Thailand’s Tak province, before being taken back to India. | Photo credit: Sarot Meksophawannakul
Officials from the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) confirmed that travel arrangements are underway to bring the group to Hyderabad from Delhi, where they are currently staying at the Telangana Bhavan. Three Telangana police officials have arrived in the state capital to help with documentation, language support and travel coordination.
“We are verifying their records and ensuring their safe journey back to Hyderabad. The individuals will be accompanied by our officials during the journey,” said an officer from TGCSB. The official added that depending on logistics, the group would return either by air or by train, with security personnel deployed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) and major railway stations.
The repatriation follows a major operation led by the Myanmar military against cybercrime syndicates in the town of Myawaddy. The KK Park campus, a notorious hub for global online fraud, employed hundreds of foreign nationals who were lured by fake job offers promising lucrative IT positions. After the operation, many fled to Thailand, where they were taken into Indian custody for verification and return.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is coordinating a massive effort to rescue Indians trapped in such compounds. Earlier this year, on March 10, the Indian Air Force airlifted 283 citizens duped by fake labor agents in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. The Indian Embassy in Myanmar said that more than 1,600 citizens have been repatriated since July 2022, with more cases being monitored.
In Telangana, police are expected to interrogate the returnees to determine the extent of their involvement in cyber operations. Officials said many were recruited through fraudulent job networks that offered high-paying tech jobs abroad.
Authorities reiterated their warning to jobseekers not to accept foreign offers without verifying employers’ credentials through Indian embassies in the region. The Embassy of India in Myanmar continues to receive complaints through its helpline (+95-95419602), while further repatriation efforts are planned for those still stuck in Myanmar in the coming weeks.
Published – 07 Nov 2025 20:37 IST
