The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it rescued 23 Nigerian youths suspected to be victims of human trafficking from Thailand.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of the agency, Vincent Adekoye, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Adekoye said that the operation was carried out with the support and collaboration of Eden (Myanmar), with critical assistance from the British Government.

He said the operation was in continuation of the agency’s renewed onslaught against organised crime.

According to him, the victims who have already arrived in Nigeria were deceived, recruited, and trafficked to some southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, for cyber-enabled crimes.

He said some of the crimes includes romance scam, cryptocurrency-related fraud, and investment scam in the destination countries.

He said that the development came barely a few weeks after the Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu-Bello, promised tough times for human traffickers in Nigeria.

Mr Adekoye quoted NAPTIP DG as promising an improved collaboration and upscale strategy to detect, dislodge, and disorganise activities of human trafficking targeting any Nigerian.

The NAPTIP boss raised the alarm about the traffickers’ new activities and called for collaboration among stakeholders.

She said, “This is a new dimension of the human trafficking phenomenon that targets vibrant and intelligent Nigerians. The trafficker goes after boys and girls who have one skill or the other, but preferably computer and IT skills, and who do not drink alcohol or smoke.

“They promise them a scholarship and gainful employment but on arrival at the destination country, the victims are trained on various methods of scam.”

According to her, within the shortest period of time, many of them had graduated as translators and were offered the role of customer care to deceive their targets.

She said, “Upon interrogation the victims said they were compelled to target individuals and organisations from the USA, UK, Ethiopia, and Canada for romance scams, investment scams, cryptocurrency scams, and other online frauds.

“They disclosed that they were accommodated in a hostel with bunks and provided with all the necessary gadgets, and were forced to go after their targets, while being closely monitored.”

The NAPTIP boss also explained that few of the victims who refused to do the bidding of the traffickers were tortured to death inside the horror chamber called ‘the dark room.’

“While others had their organs harvested, especially the young ones with non-smoking history. This is a new dimension in trafficking to destination countries in the Southeast Asian Region, and it is disturbing,” she said.

Mrs Adamu-Bello stated that NAPTIP had reactivated its various networks with the support of partners, assuring that the dangerous trafficking syndicate would be dismantled and its ringleaders brought to justice.

She expressed NAPTIP’s appreciation for the support and collaboration of civil society organisations in the South Asia region, Eden (Myanmar), the British Government, and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

According to her, the Nigerian embassy in Bangkok, Thailand played a significant role in facilitating the repatriation process, including the issuance of Emergency Travel Certificates (ETCs) for some of the victims. 

(NAN)