Generally, the airport in Mae Sot, a town positioned on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, does not operate international flights. However, in recent days, a significant number of individuals boarded direct flights back to China. These travelers had been rescued from Myanmar, where they were caught in the alarming modern crisis of online scam operations that have exploited forced labor to defraud victims across the globe out of billions of dollars.

The charter flights were organized as part of a coordinated multinational initiative that was prompted by the abduction last month of a Chinese actor to work in a fraudulent operation, which dissuaded Chinese tourists from traveling to Thailand. These rescue efforts, orchestrated by officials from Thailand, Myanmar, and China, were positioned as a significant setback to the thriving scam industry.

Yet, as these rescue flights departed, construction workers in the scam centers — modern high-rise buildings visible from the Thai border — continued their labor into the night, unashamedly erecting new facilities focused on criminal activity. Inside, fraudsters, confined within barred windows, persistently solicited funds from lonely individuals and hopeful investors across the United States, China, and beyond.

Since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021 and the subsequent civil unrest, the border with Thailand has transformed into one of the most dangerously lawless and profitable regions globally. Chinese criminal organizations have infiltrated the area, forming alliances with various factions to convert lush rainforests into urban centers dedicated to online fraud.

Amid the Thai government’s insufficient intervention, Chinese gangs and militia leaders from Myanmar have reportedly smuggled tens of thousands of individuals across the river to work in these criminal operations, according to the United Nations. Thailand has also been complicit by providing electricity and internet services to these fraud centers, acting as a conduit for construction supplies, torture devices, and even high-end luxury cars.