NAPTIP trafficking rescue returns 23 Nigerians from Thailand after alleged exploitation in cybercrime operations across Southeast Asia

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, on Wednesday confirmed a NAPTIP trafficking rescue involving 23 Nigerian youths repatriated from Thailand after alleged exploitation in cyber-enabled criminal operations across Southeast Asia.

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Binta Adamu Bello, Director-General of NAPTIP, disclosed the development in Abuja, warning of a disturbing shift in trafficking patterns in which young Nigerians are recruited for online fraud networks operating in countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.

Vincent Adekoye, Head of Press and Public Relations at NAPTIP, said the rescue was achieved in collaboration with Eden in Myanmar, with support from the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, which facilitated emergency travel documentation for some of the victims.

According to Binta Adamu Bello, the victims were deceived with promises of scholarships and lucrative employment before being transported out of Nigeria and compelled to participate in internet fraud schemes including romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and fake investment platforms.

Binta Adamu Bello said traffickers deliberately target intelligent youths with computer and information technology skills, as well as individuals with clean health records, to maximise their usefulness in the illicit operations.

Binta Adamu Bello explained that upon arrival in the foreign locations, the victims were allegedly trained in scamming techniques and, in some cases, enrolled in language classes before being deployed as online agents to target individuals and organisations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, and Canada.

The Director-General said the victims were housed in crowded hostels, monitored closely, and subjected to intimidation if they failed to meet daily targets set by their handlers.

Some of the rescued youths, Binta Adamu Bello added, reported severe abuse for non-compliance and raised allegations of organ harvesting involving younger victims, which the agency said would form part of ongoing investigations.

Describing the pattern as alarming, Binta Adamu Bello said NAPTIP had reactivated its international networks to dismantle the trafficking syndicate and pursue those responsible.

The agency commended civil society partners in the region, Eden in Myanmar, the British Government, and Nigerian diplomatic officials in Thailand for their roles in the operation.

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The NAPTIP trafficking rescue follows earlier commitments by the agency to intensify efforts against emerging trafficking routes targeting Nigerian youths for exploitation in foreign cybercrime networks.