The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has successfully rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths who were trafficked to Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations for forced involvement in cybercrime, highlighting a disturbing new trend in human trafficking.
The youths were reportedly lured with promises of scholarships and high-paying jobs but were instead trafficked to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, where they were coerced into participating in romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and fake investment schemes.
During interactions with the rescued victims, NAPTIP learned that the traffickers forced them to defraud individuals and organizations in the United States, United Kingdom, Ethiopia, and Canada through various online scams.
Those who refused were allegedly tortured to death in a chamber referred to as “the dark room,” while younger victims with no history of smoking reportedly had their organs harvested.
According to NAPTIP’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr. Vincent Adekoya, the rescue operation was conducted in collaboration with Eden (Myanmar), with assistance from the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, which facilitated the issuance of Emergency Travel Certificates for some of the victims.
The development comes just weeks after NAPTIP Director-General Binta Bello vowed to make life difficult for human traffickers in Nigeria, pledging enhanced strategies and improved collaborations to detect and dismantle networks preying on Nigerians.
Describing the operation as “disturbing,” Bello explained that traffickers are increasingly targeting “vibrant and intelligent Nigerians.”
“This is a new dimension of the human trafficking phenomenon that targets vibrant and intelligent Nigerians. The traffickers go after boys and girls who have one skill or the other, preferably computer and IT skills, and those who do not drink alcohol or smoke. They promise them scholarships and gainful employment,” Bello said.
She added, “On arrival in the destination country, the victims are trained in various scamming methods. Some of them are enrolled in language schools, preferably to learn Chinese, and within a short time graduate as translators and are offered the role of customer care agents to deceive their targets.”
The director-general further revealed, “The victims explained that they were compelled to target individuals and organisations from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia and Canada for romance scams, investment scams, cryptocurrency scams and other online fraud. They were accommodated in hostels with bunk beds and provided with all the necessary gadgets, and were forced to go after their targets. They were monitored by fierce-looking mafia members who tortured anyone who failed to meet daily targets. While a few who refused to cooperate were tortured to death inside the horror chamber called ‘the dark room,’ others had their organs harvested, especially the younger ones with no history of smoking. This is a new dimension in trafficking to destination countries in the Southeast Asian region, and it is disturbing. We have reactivated our various connections so that, with the support of partners, this deadly trafficking syndicate will be dislodged and the ringleaders arrested. NAPTIP appreciates 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. The Embassy played a significant role in facilitating the repatriation process, including the issuance of Emergency Travel Certificates for some of the victims.”
She warned Nigerians, particularly young job seekers, to be extremely cautious when considering overseas scholarship and employment offers, emphasizing that traffickers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in luring victims into transnational criminal operations disguised as legitimate opportunities.
