BANGKOK, March 6 (TNA) – The second phase of repatriating Chinese nationals, including victims and members of call center gangs, from Myawaddy, Myanmar, to China has commenced.
Two buses from the Thai side entered Myawaddy, Myanmar, via the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge at the Mae Sot border in Tak Province this morning. Chinese embassy officials and police officers were present to oversee the operation.
The first group of 76 Chinese nationals, comprising both victims and scammers, crossed the border into Thailand. They underwent biometric processing, including facial recognition and fingerprinting, to be added to the Thai Immigration Bureau’s blacklist. Subsequently, they were transported to Mae Sot International Airport to board chartered flights to China.
The operation, running from today until March 9, will involve 19 flights and the return of 1,439 Chinese nationals. The first round of repatriation, conducted from February 20-22, saw 621 Chinese nationals returned via 13 flights.
However, over 7,000 Chinese nationals and foreign nationals from 29 countries remain under the custody of the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). They were apprehended during crackdowns in the Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone and KK Park over the past three weeks. The BGF is awaiting coordination from various embassies to repatriate them. -819 (TNA)
