Ninety Indonesian Online Scam Victims Arrive Safely From Myanmar Border

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Ninety Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were previously trapped in online scam syndicates arrived safely at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Thursday morning at around 5:30 a.m. local time.

Their repatriation was facilitated by the Directorate for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens (Dit. PWNI) of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassies in Yangon and Bangkok.

The operation was initiated to ensure the protection of citizens exploited by fraudulent schemes at the Myanmar-Thailand border and was successfully completed by extracting the victims from the border region and arranging their flight back to Banten.

Upon arrival in Indonesia, the repatriates were immediately handed over to relevant agencies for further processing and assistance in accordance with established procedures. This repatriation is part of the Indonesian Government's ongoing efforts to assist citizens affected by the Myanmar Government's crackdown on online scamming and gambling centers in the Myawaddy region, as quoted by Antara.

To date, 230 Indonesian citizens are still in the process of being repatriated in stages. Current repatriation efforts are prioritized for those who have declared their readiness to independently fund their return flight tickets.

Previously, the first wave of repatriation saw 56 citizens return from Myawaddy on December 8, 2025, via the Myanmar–Thailand Friendship Bridge No. 2. They were received by the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok at Mae Sot, Thailand, before flying to Jakarta via Bangkok on December 9, 2025, followed by a second wave of 54 citizens who arrived on December 13, 2025.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly urges all prospective Indonesian migrant workers (CPMI) to always follow official procedures and regulations in both Indonesia and their destination countries. Compliance with official procedures is crucial to avoiding the risks of fraud, exploitation, and legal issues that could harm both the individuals and their families at home.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia will continue to monitor the development of the situation to ensure the safe and coordinated return of all remaining citizens. The government remains committed to ensuring that every step of the repatriation process is conducted quickly and securely for the safety of its nationals. ***