MORE than 200 Filipinos arrested in Myanmar during a sweeping military operation on scam hubs are now seeking repatriation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Sunday.
The crackdown, conducted on October 20, targeted KK Park in Myawaddy, a notorious compound near the Thai border known for housing transnational cybercrime syndicates.
Myanmar’s military detained over 2,000 individuals, including foreign nationals, and seized 30 Starlink satellite devices allegedly used to facilitate online scams. The operation was part of a broader regional push involving Thai and Chinese authorities to dismantle scam networks exploiting migrant labor.
The DFA said that 222 Filipinos were among those arrested and have since requested repatriation assistance.
Of these, 66 have crossed into Thailand and are being processed by Thai authorities, while nine are now in Yangon in the custody of Myanmar officials.
The usual repatriation process involves both the Philippine Embassies in Yangon and Bangkok, requesting clearance for affected Filipinos to cross into Thailand and be repatriated via Bangkok. Clearance typically takes three to four weeks from the time of request.
‘The Department, in coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers [DMW] and other relevant agencies, remains committed to the safe repatriation of affected Filipinos through established Government-to-Government [G2G]channels,’ the DFA said.
Filipinos in scam hubs or their families may contact the Philippine Embassy in Yangon for assistance through the following hotlines: