The Kenyan Embassy in Thailand has once again urged citizens to refrain from seeking employment opportunities in Myanmar due to numerous reports of fraudulent job offers circulating online.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Embassy expressed alarm over the persistent applications despite warnings about risks such as abductions, job exploitation, and torture by criminal organizations.
The Embassy noted that several Kenyans have ignored these warnings, with ten individuals currently held captive by a Chinese criminal cartel that is demanding substantial ransoms for their release.
These cartels assert ownership of the Kenyans, claiming they purchased them as slaves.
“The Kenya Embassy in Thailand is reiterating its warning against travel to Myanmar.
This alert comes as many young Kenyans are appealing for help from the country’s infamous scam compounds, while others continue to arrive, effectively becoming victims of Chinese criminal networks,” the statement read.
It detailed that the cartel leaders demand approximately 45,000 RMB (about sh. 820,420) for each individual, with a total ransom of around USD 12,000 (sh. 1.5 million) for their freedom.
Despite extensive media warnings, the Embassy noted that many young Kenyans still travel to Myanmar after paying large sums to recruitment agents for jobs that do not exist, particularly in cryptocurrency and customer service.
Victims of trafficking are often taken to the border town of Maesot in Bangkok, where they are coerced into participating in global cyber scams.
“Thailand serves as a transit point; upon arrival in Bangkok, victims are transported to Maesot via illegal routes,” the Embassy explained.
Once there, they are confined to heavily guarded compounds and subjected to intense training for up to ten days.
Those who fail to meet strict performance targets face severe punishments, including electrocution and starvation.
“Many victims are kept in dark rooms without food for days, and reports of torture and even fatalities due to electrocution have emerged,” the statement added.
The Embassy has identified an additional 45 Kenyans working in various scam operations, with some having escaped and others released after paying ransoms.
However, it also discovered that some individuals do not wish to be rescued and have become part of the trafficking networks themselves.
In light of ongoing civil unrest, many scam operations are now under the control of insurgent groups that offer protection for a fee.
The Embassy’s statement follows previous alerts from the Foreign Affairs Ministry regarding job scams in Myanmar, especially after a Kenyan died during a botched surgery there in 2022.
