NAPTIP rescues 23 Nigerians from cyber scam syndicate in Thailand

2026-02-11 - 14:58

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths from Thailand after they were trafficked to Southeast Asia to engage in cyber-enabled crimes. In a statement on Wednesday, Vincent Adekoye, NAPTIP’s Head of Press and Public Relations, said the victims were recruited and sent to countries including Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia to carry out romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and investment scams. The youths were specifically targeted for their intelligence, computer, and IT skills, as well as their clean lifestyle. Director General Binta Adamu Bello, OON, described the operation as exposing “a new dimension of human trafficking that targets vibrant and skilled Nigerians.” She explained that victims were lured with promises of scholarships and employment but were forced into fraudulent activities upon arrival. “The victims revealed that they were trained in various scamming techniques, sometimes learning new languages to serve as translators and customer care agents to deceive targets in the USA, UK, Ethiopia, and Canada,” Bello said. “They were housed in hostels, monitored by mafia operatives, and tortured if they failed to meet quotas. Some victims who resisted were killed or had their organs harvested.” The DG noted that the syndicate’s operations are deeply disturbing but emphasized that NAPTIP has reactivated its regional and international partnerships to dismantle the network and bring the ringleaders to justice. NAPTIP expressed gratitude to civil society organizations in Southeast Asia, the British Government, and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok for their support, including issuing Emergency Travel Certificates to facilitate the victims’ repatriation. Bello added that the operation underscores the agency’s renewed commitment to combating organized criminal networks preying on vulnerable Nigerians.