Ten Chinese suspects connected to the kidnapping of an actor will be returned by Thai police

The kidnapping of actor Wang Xing sparked a crackdown on scam centers, and Thai officials said Friday that they would return 10 Chinese citizens who were engaged in the actor’s kidnapping to China.

Wang Xing vanished in January after being enticed to Thailand with the prospect of a high-paying acting position. He was later discovered in Myanmar by Thai authorities, and he has now returned home.

His fiancée started a social media campaign about his predicament and restarted an international effort to crack down on these illicit activities, which have been going on for years, which sparked national attention in China following his abduction.

In Southeast Asia, criminal gangs have enticed and kidnapped hundreds of thousands of people to engage in illicit web operations that swindle billions of dollars every year, according to the United Nations.

A Royal Thai Police inspector-general, Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, stated that the ten Chinese suspects were members of a group that robbed Chinese individuals while operating in the town of Myawaddy, Myanmar.

They were seized in Thailand while traveling to Cambodia, and Thai police announced in a statement that they will be transported to China for legal proceedings.

Thatchai added that 3,700 people who are allegedly criminals operating fraud centers in Myanmar have been listed in Thailand by China.

Myanmar sent more than 200 call center victims to Thailand earlier this week.

Reuters was informed by a spokesperson for the Karen National Army (KNA), a rebel organization from Myanmar that rules the area surrounding Myawaddy, that it intends to bring thousands more back.

“We are stepping up our efforts, but it takes time. Major Naing Maung Zaw stated, “We are working to get the people back as soon as possible.”

As Bangkok’s concerns about scam centers’ effects on the crucial tourism industry grew, Thailand earlier this month shut off internet, fuel, and power to areas of Myanmar where the illegal compounds are active.