NAPTIP rescues 23 Nigerians trapped in Southeast Asia cybercrime ring

*”We were forced to scam Americans Britons, others”- victims disclosed
*Defiant victims subjected to organ harvesting

By Evelyn Usman

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths trafficked to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries for forced cybercrime, raising fresh alarm over what it described as a dangerous new dimension in human trafficking.

The repatriated youths were allegedly deceived with promises of scholarships and lucrative jobs, only to be trafficked to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, where they were compelled to engage in romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud and fake investment schemes.

The agency revealed that during interactions with the rescued youths, they disclosed that they were forced to defraud individuals and organisations in the United States, United Kingdom, Ethiopia, and Canada through various forms of online deception.

Those who refused to do the bidding of the traffickers were allegedly tortured to death inside a horror chamber called “the dark room,” while others had their organs harvested, especially the younger ones with no history of smoking, they further revealed.

According to the agency’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr. Vincent Adekoya, the rescue operation was carried out in collaboration with Eden (Myanmar), with support from the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, which facilitated the issuance of Emergency Travel Certificates, for some of the victims.

He hinted that the development came “barely a few weeks after the Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, promised a hard time for human traffickers in the country. She had pledged improved collaboration and enhanced strategies to detect, dislodge and disorganise human trafficking networks targeting Nigerians”.

Speaking on the latest operation, Bello described the development as “disturbing” and a clear shift in the tactics of traffickers.

According to her, traffickers now deliberately target “vibrant and intelligent Nigerians,” especially those with computer and IT skills and disciplined lifestyles.

Alerting Nigerians to the new tactics of traffickers, Bello said: “This is a new dimension of the human trafficking phenomenon that targets vibrant and intelligent Nigerians. The traffickers go after boys and girls who have one skill or the other, preferably computer and IT skills, and those who do not drink alcohol or smoke. They promise them scholarships and gainful employment.

“On arrival in the destination country, the victims are trained in various scamming methods. Some of them are enrolled in language schools, preferably to learn Chinese, and within a short time graduate as translators and are offered the role of customer care agents to deceive their targets.”

She further disclosed: “The victims explained that they were compelled to target individuals and organisations from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia and Canada for romance scams, investment scams, cryptocurrency scams and other online fraud.

“They were accommodated in hostels with bunk beds and provided with all the necessary gadgets, and were forced to go after their targets. They were monitored by fierce-looking mafia members who tortured anyone who failed to meet daily targets.

“While a few who refused to cooperate were tortured to death inside the horror chamber called ‘the dark room,’ others had their organs harvested, especially the younger ones with no history of smoking.

“This is a new dimension in trafficking to destination countries in the Southeast Asian region, and it is disturbing. We have reactivated our various connections so that, with the support of partners, this deadly trafficking syndicate will be dislodged and the ringleaders arrested.

“NAPTIP appreciates the support and collaboration of civil society organisations in the South Asia region, Eden (Myanmar), the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. The Embassy played a significant role in facilitating the repatriation process, including the issuance of Emergency Travel Certificates for some of the victims.”

She, therefore, warned Nigerians, particularly young job seekers, to exercise extreme caution regarding overseas scholarship and employment offers, stressing that traffickers have become increasingly sophisticated in luring unsuspecting victims into transnational criminal operations disguised as legitimate opportunities.

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