India airlifts 197 citizens who worked in Myanmar cybercrime hub from Thailand

Continuing its operations to repatriate Indian citizens working in cyber fraud centers in Southern Myanmar, the Indian Air Force (IAF) evacuated 197 Indian citizens from Mae Sot, Thailand, on Monday, November 10, 2025.

The Indian embassy in Thailand said Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrived at Mae Sot to inspect the operation.

“Both sides reaffirmed their firm commitment to combat cross-border crimes, including cyber fraud and human trafficking in the region, and to increase cooperation between relevant institutions in both countries for this purpose,” the Indian embassy said in a statement after Indian Ambassador to Thailand Nagesh Singh met Prime Minister Charnvirakul in Mae Sot.

On November 6, the IAF evacuated 270 citizens working in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region who crossed into Mae Sot after the Myanmar military attacked illegal fraud centres. The Myanmar military launched an operation in Myawaddy in the second fortnight of October, forcing workers at multi-national fraud centers to cross into Thailand, where they were detained for entering without valid documents.

“The Indian Embassy in Bangkok and the Indian Consulate in Chiang Mai facilitated this repatriation in close collaboration with various agencies of the Royal Thai Government. This is part of the Government of India’s continuous efforts to ensure the safety and security of Indian citizens in danger abroad,” the Indian embassy in Bangkok said in a statement.

Mr Charnvirakul had expressed his government’s determination to stop Myanmar’s cyber fraud hubs, which threaten Thailand’s economic prospects while targeting thousands of innocent people around the world. Officials here have said before Hindu He said Indian citizens transported by plane will not be allowed to return home without investigation and will be subjected to detailed interrogation to find out what kind of activities they are carrying out in Myawaddy’s cyber centres.

On October 29, Mr. Charnvirakul had announced that around 500 Indian citizens entering Thailand from Myanmar would be airlifted by the Government of India. These individuals were working at the KK Cyber ​​Crime center in Myawaddy, which is known to have defrauded thousands of innocent online victims worldwide, mostly in India.

The Indian embassy in Bangkok also emphasized that Indian citizens should “verify the credentials of foreign employers and background checks with recruitment agencies before accepting job offers abroad” and reminded Indian passport holders that visa-free entry is allowed “for tourism and short business purposes only” and not for employment purposes.