2 weeks to repatriate 31 Malaysians stranded on Myanmar-Thailand border

2 weeks to repatriate 31 Malaysians stranded on Myanmar-Thailand border

KUALA LUMPUR: Repatriating 31 Malaysians stranded on the Myanmar-Thailand border after falling victim to employment scams is expected to take at least two weeks.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said this was due to detention procedures, court proceedings, fines, and temporary custody following their illegal entry into Thailand.

Mohamad said the update was provided by Malaysia’s Ambassador to Thailand, Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, after embassy officials received information from Tak provincial immigration officers and the Royal Thai Police.

The Malaysians remain under the control of the Royal Thai Armed Forces at the Second Friendship Bridge in Maesot.

“The documentation and screening process has not yet been completed, even though embassy officials have been on site since early morning. At the same time, the Maesot court can only handle 80 cases a day, and there are 274 Chinese nationals awaiting hearings,” he told Berita Harian.

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“Given the lengthy procedures and the fines of 4,000 baht (RM517) per person, efforts are being made to expedite the process and their release,” he added.

Mohamad also said that on Tuesday, 32 Malaysians trafficked across the Myanmar-Thailand border were safely brought into Thailand by the country’s military. The group, comprising 31 men and one woman, received assistance after the Malaysian embassy in Thailand requested humanitarian support.

He added that embassy officials have met all the victims and provided sufficient food for several days. One individual, who had been detained earlier, is currently at the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre pending deportation.

Meanwhile, Mohamad said the evacuation of 21 other Malaysians detained by the Myanmar government for employment fraud was proceeding smoothly.

“Twenty of the victims are currently travelling by bus to Danok, escorted by embassy officials, and are expected to arrive tomorrow afternoon, while one person had to remain in custody longer for investigation and documentation purposes,” he said.

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A United Nations envoy had said that the syndicates, often linked to transnational organised crime, target countries with weak law enforcement, isolating recruits and forcing them to trick victims into transferring funds overseas.