Kenya was forced to negotiate through the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) to secure the release of 70 Kenyans who were trafficked to Myanmar.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Tuesday announced that at least 70 Kenyans had been rescued from scam call centres located in regions controlled by rebel groups fighting the Myanmar government.
On Tuesday, some 46 Kenyans were rescued by the DKBA and the Border Guard Force (BGF)adding to 24 others who had been released on February 12, 2025.
The 24 Kenyans were among 261 foreigners who had been trafficked last year to work in online crimes that include scamming, fraud, identity theft, phishing, romance scams and cryptocurrency scams.
“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,” it said.
According to the ministry, the rescue followed months of “delicate negotiations “, which were spearheaded by the Kenya Embassy in Thailand and various partners in Thailand and Myanmar.
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 rescued Kenyans will remain in the Myanmar territory before they are handed to the Thai government, the statements.
KENYANS WARNED
Consequently, the Ministry has warned Kenyans against travelling for jobs purported to be in Thailand, only to end up in scam compounds in Myanmar as the trafficking ring uses Thailand as a place to lure vulnerable youths into rebel-controlled areas in Myanmar.
“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.”
On February 12, DKBA vowed to crack down on illegal business operators and rescue victims on the Myanmar border.
“From now on, the DKBA will launch a crackdown on illegal establishments in our area of responsibility in Myanmar. If any are found, operators will be expelled and victims will be rescued,” army commander Colonel San Aung said.
Diaspora PS Roseline Njogu has in the past warned Kenyans against travelling for work in South East Asia due to rising number of Kenyans who are falling victim to rogue recruiting agencies.
Njogu advises those seeking jobs abroad to only engage licensed government-approved recruitment agencies, and verifying job offers through the National Employment Authority.
The problem extends to the region as 138 Ethiopians have also been rescued to from the country, which is facing instability challenges.
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