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Police arrest gang of traffickers and rescue 214 Thais forced to work as slaves in Cambodia

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Police arrest gang of traffickers and rescue 214 Thais forced to work as slaves in Cambodia

A special anti-trafficking Thai police task force, in conjunction with Cambodian authorities and the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, rescued a group of Thais forced to work under slave-like conditions and arrested several others on charges of human trafficking.

Police Lieutenant General Surachet Hakphan, the assistant to the national police chief, said police had received a tip about some 300 Thais being forced to work in a building in Phnom Penh.

“Officials raided the building and arrested nine Thais who allegedly brought the victims to work there and 20 Chinese nationals who would lead the operation. The investigation is ongoing and additional evidence is being collected to arrest other people involved.

“After the raid, officials learned that the victims were forced to work nearly 20 hours a day for an illegal call centre that runs romance scams targeting people in Thailand,” he added.

“These people were forced to live in the building, were not allowed to use phones or call their families and were physically assaulted if caught calling home.

“Many of the victims have signs of abuse on their bodies,” Surachet said.

He added that 214 of the workers have returned to Thailand, while another 99 are waiting for their documents to be processed. “The second group of people should return home within two weeks,” he said. “All Thai and Chinese nationals detained will be taken to Thailand for prosecution.”

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