Since the beginning of the conflict, the Security Council has struggled to speak with one voice, as the United States used its veto power several times
world4 days ago
Security forces in Laos have arrested nearly 800 people working for a cyber scam network in a shady "special economic zone" on the border with Myanmar and Thailand, local media reported.
The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ), located in Laos' Bokeo province, is home to a number of Chinese-owned casinos and hotels, and has emerged as a suspected hub for illegal activity in recent years.
The crackdown is part of a larger effort to stamp out transnational crimes within the SEZ, Laotian media reported.
A total of 771 people were detained when authorities dismantled the online fraud ring on August 12, the Laotian Times reported this week.
Among those arrested were 489 men and 282 women from 15 different nationalities, according to the outlet, which like all media in one-party communist Laos, operates under strict government control.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
It said the operation was one of the "most significant" in the region's history and involved substantial collaboration with international security forces, including from China.
Those arrested were mostly from Laos, Myanmar and China, but also included people from Burundi, Colombia, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Mozambique, Tunisia, the Philippines, Uganda and Vietnam.
Following the arrests, the Laotian nationals were given warnings and sent back to their local communities with the help of their relatives, report said.
The detainees from China were transferred to Chinese authorities on August 15. The remaining foreigners were handed over to their respective embassies.
The operation comes after Vietnamese and Laos police successfully dismantled a large-scale cyber fraud and human trafficking operation in the SEZ this month.
They arrested 155 Vietnamese nationals involved in "sophisticated, cross-border fraudulent activities", according to the official Vietnam News Agency.
The sprawling SEZ has seen a rapid surge in illicit activities since it was set up in 2007, including drug smuggling, gambling and associated criminal activities, Crisis Group wrote in a report last year.
ALSO READ:
Since the beginning of the conflict, the Security Council has struggled to speak with one voice, as the United States used its veto power several times
world4 days ago
Super Heavy unexpectedly splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico instead of returning to land
world4 days ago
The 19-year-old dreamt of competing abroad, and said she wanted to be like Ronaldo and Messi
world4 days ago
Hochstein's mission marks a last-ditch attempt by the outgoing US administration to clinch a ceasefire as diplomacy to end the Gaza war appears totally adrift
world5 days ago
This will be his first visit since the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia around three years ago
world5 days ago
The changes state that any conventional attack on Russia, aided by a nuclear power, could be considered to be a joint attack
world5 days ago
The country launched a probe in March 2021 into WhatsApp's privacy policy, which allowed data sharing with Facebook and its units, sparking global backlash
world6 days ago
This time around, Trump wants the Senate to give up that gatekeeping role and allow him to make 'recess appointments'
world6 days ago