South Africa’s Department of International Relations announced the successful repatriation of 23 South African citizens on Thursday.
These individuals had been rescued from online scam centers operating in Myanmar.
According to the statement, the 23 South Africans were among a larger group of over 7,000 workers from various countries who were freed during recent crackdowns on these scam operations in Myanmar.
The South Africans were reportedly lured to Thailand with promises of lucrative jobs advertised on social media.
They were then transported to Myanmar and held captive for more than four months.
During this time, they were allegedly subjected to torture and forced to engage in illicit online scam activities targeting individuals globally.
A Myanmar ethnic militia had previously indicated plans to deport approximately 10,000 people linked to these cyberscams to Thailand.
Several other countries, including China and Indonesia, have also repatriated hundreds of their citizens rescued from these compounds in recent weeks.
The United Nations estimates that potentially as many as 120,000 individuals, many of whom are reportedly Chinese men, may be working in Myanmar scam centers against their will.