Mon Dec 16 12:32:31 UTC 2024: ## Bangladeshi Man Escapes Myanmar Scam Ring After Grueling Ordeal
**Yangon, Myanmar/ Dhaka, Bangladesh –** A 25-year-old Bangladeshi man, Junaeid Hossain Parbez Ariyan, has recounted a harrowing escape from a human trafficking ring operating in Myanmar’s Karen State. Ariyan, who previously worked in Dubai, was lured to Thailand with the promise of a high-paying computer operator job. Instead, he found himself held captive with approximately 300 others, including women, in inhumane conditions near the Thai-Myanmar border. At least 13 of the victims are Bangladeshi.
Ariyan describes being forced to work 17-hour days creating fake social media profiles to scam people worldwide, under threat of brutal punishments including beatings and electric shocks. He generated $25,000 for the syndicate before escaping on October 18th, swimming across the Moei River and trekking through the jungle for eight hours before finding help. He received assistance from a Buddhist monk and Thai authorities before returning to Bangladesh on November 14th.
Ariyan’s ordeal highlights the dangers faced by Bangladeshis seeking work abroad. The Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry has issued warnings against traveling to several Southeast Asian countries due to the increasing number of similar incidents. Another victim, Mehedi Hasan Shanto, has contacted his family from a similar camp, pleading for government intervention. Shanto’s family has contacted the relevant ministries for help. Ariyan is urging the Bangladeshi government to take immediate action to rescue the remaining Bangladeshi victims trapped in these scam centers.
First Piper 