The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that at least 74 Kenyans have been rescued from a human trafficking ring.
According to the ministry, the Kenyans had been duped into security jobs in Myanmar but ended up working in scam call centres located in regions controlled by rebel groups fighting the Myanmar government.
The first 24 Kenyans were released last week from a batch of 261 foreigners released following months of negotiations.
“The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs confirms that on 12th February 2025, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) successfully negotiated for the release of 261 foreigners from 18 nationalities; 24 of these were Kenyans.
“The release of the Kenyans followed months of delicate negotiations spearheaded by the Kenya Embassy in Thailand in conjunction with various partners in Thailand and Myanmar,” the ministry said.
The second batch of 46 Kenyans were rescued by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and the Border Guard Force (BCF) on February 18 (Tuesday).
Despite being rescued, they will remain in the Myanmar territory before they are handed to the Thai government.
“They are among hundreds of other foreigners trafficked to Myanmar late last year and used forcefully to commit various online crimes including scamming, fraud, identify theft, phishing, romance scams, and cryptocurrency scams," the ministry said.
Another four Kenyans escaped to Thailand on February 8, 2025, and were rescued by Thai civilians before they were handed over to security authorities at the border area.
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs warned Kenyans against travelling to Myanmar for jobs purported to be in Thailand, only to end up in scam compounds in Myanmar.
It said the trafficking ring uses Thailand as a place to lure vulnerable youths into rebel-controlled areas in Myanmar.
“Kenyans should be aware that traffickers use Thailand as a trapdoor to lure vulnerable Youth into Myanmar," the ministry said.
“The Ministry calls upon Kenyans interested in jobs advertised in Thailand to get in touch with the Ministry or the Kenya Embassy in Bangkok to authenticate any such offers before travelling abroad.”