INTERPOL operation reveals further insights into ‘globalization’ of cyber scam centres
8 December 2023
Operation Storm Makers II mobilized law enforcement in 27 countries across Asia and other regions to target human trafficking and migrant smuggling
LYON, France – The first INTERPOL operation specifically targeting the phenomenon of human trafficking-fuelled fraud has revealed further evidence that the crime trend is expanding beyond Southeast Asia.
Following five months of investigative coordination, law enforcement from participating countries carried out more than 270,000 inspections and police checks at 450 human trafficking and migrant smuggling hotspots from 16-20 October.
Many of the hotspots are regularly used to traffic victims to notorious cyber scam centres in Southeast Asia. Victims are often lured through fake job ads and forced to commit online fraud on an industrial scale, while enduring abject physical abuse. Fraud schemes include fake cryptocurrency investments, as well as work-from-home, lottery and online gambling scams.
In total, the operation resulted in:
- The arrest of 281 individuals for offences such as human trafficking, passport forgery, corruption, telecommunications fraud, and sexual exploitation;
- The rescue of 149 human trafficking victims;
- More than 360 investigations opened, many of which remain ongoing.
“The human cost of cyber scam centres continues to rise. Only concerted global action can truly address the globalization of this crime trend. While the majority of cases remain concentrated in Southeast Asia, Operation Storm Makers II offers further evidence that this modus operandi is spreading, with victims sourced from other continents and new scam centres appearing as far afield as Latin America.”Rosemary Nalubega, Assistant Director, Vulnerable Communities at INTERPOL
Global spread
The cyber scam cases uncovered during the operation demonstrate this expanding geographical footprint.
During the pre-operational phase, INTERPOL supported national authorities for a case in which 40 Malaysian victims were lured to Peru with the promise of a high-paying job, only to be forced to commit telecommunications fraud.
In October, reports were received from Ugandan law enforcement of several citizens taken to Dubai – allegedly for employment – before being diverted to Thailand and then Myanmar. There, the victims were handed over to an online fraud syndicate and kept under armed guard while being taught to defraud banks.
In India, police from the state of Telangana registered one of their first cases of human trafficking for the purpose of cyber fraud. An accountant was lured to Southeast Asia where he was forced to participate in online fraud schemes in inhuman conditions. He was eventually able to leave following the payment of a ransom.
In Myanmar alone, over the past year authorities reported rescuing trafficking victims who originated from 22 countries, largely from Kayin and Shan States.
Focus on prevention
Beyond the cyber scam centres, the operation saw law enforcement uncover a range of other human trafficking and migrant smuggling offences:
- A 13-year-old boy from Bangladesh was rescued after being trafficked to India, following rapid cooperation between the INTERPOL NCBs in each country.
- Two female victims from Nepal, one aged 17, were also rescued and returned home from India. They had been trafficked to New Delhi and trapped in prostitution.
- Turkish law enforcement apprehended 239 migrant smugglers while patrolling the country’s coastline, intercepting nearly 4,000 irregular migrants.
Prevention was also a key focus of the operation, with member countries rolling out awareness campaigns to help potential victims avoid being trafficked.
Checks by police officers at border checkpoints, who looked for tell-tale signs of trafficking among travellers, succeeded in intercepting nearly 800 potential victims across all countries. Many were likely victims of fake recruiters.
In the United Arab Emirates, multiple campaigns were conducted at markets and massage parlours about the key dangers and indicators of human trafficking. Authorities in Nepal ran community outreach programmes throughout the country on the radio, at border crossing points and by distributing pamphlets in public places.
Operation Storm Makers II benefited from funding from the Regional Support Office of the Bali Process as well as financial support from Global Affairs Canada and China’s Ministry of Public Security.
Participating countries: Angola, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.
Interpol Temukan Beberapa Fakta Baru Mengenai Human Trafficking dan Penipuan Call Center, Kini Tersebar di Seluruh Dunia
9 Desember 2023 | 15:15 WIB
Lembaga kepolisian internasional (Interpol) baru saja melakukan sebuah operasi penangkapan besar-besaran di wilayah Asia.
Operasi yang disebut sebagai Operation Storm Makers II itu telah dilakukan oleh Interpol pada 27 negara di wilayah Asia.
Interpol melakukan operasi tersebut untuk menelusuri lebih lanjut kasus yang berkaitan dengan human trafficking dan imigran gelap.
Mengutip laman resmi Interpol, dalam operasi yang berlangsung pada 16 hingga 20 Oktober tersebut membuahkan hasil yang sangat signifikan.
Sebanyak 149 orang berhasil diselamatkan dari kegiatan perdagangan manusia, 281 orang ditangkap karena berbagai pelanggaran hukum, serta 360 kasus baru terungkap.
Asisten Direktur yang menangani para korban tersebut di Interpol yakni Rosemary Nalubega mengatakan bahwa para korban human trafficking tersebut banyak yang dipekerjakan sebagai pegawai kantor penipuan telepon.
“kejahatan model baru ini sedang marak terjadi di berbagai wilayah, dengan Asia Tenggara sebagai titik pusatnya,” ujarnya.
“Namun berdasarkan hasil operasi yang dilakukan kali ini, ditemukan bahwa penyebarannya telah sampai di Amerika Latin,” jelasnya dalam pernyataan yang ditulis oleh Interpol.
Berdasarkan catatan Interpol, sebelum terjadinya operasi ini diketahui terdapat kasus 40 warga negara Malaysia untuk bekerja di Peru.
Mereka dijanjikan untuk bekerja dengan gaji yang sangat tinggi, namun mereka akhirnya hanya dipekerjakan sebagai karyawan di call center penipuan.
Selain itu, pada Oktober mereka mendapat laporan dari kepolisian Uganda mengenai warganya yang dibawa ke dubai namun berujung dipekerjakan di Myanmar dan Thailand.
Operación de Interpol contra el tráfico de migrantes explotados para cometer ciberdelitos
Este contenido fue publicado el 08 diciembre 2023 – 11:48
08 diciembre 2023 – 11:48
París, 8 dic (EFE).- ‘Storm Makers II’ es una operación pionera de Interpol que movilizó a las fuerzas de seguridad de 27 países de Asia y otras regiones para luchar contra el tráfico de migrantes a los que se les ofrecían trabajos bien remunerados para ser obligados a cometer ciberfraudes.
La agencia policial internacional explicó en un comunicado que en la operación, que se llevó a cabo entre el 16 y el 20 de octubre, fueron rescatadas 149 víctimas de trata humana tras cinco meses de investigación.
Las autoridades de más de una veintena de países hicieron 270.000 inspecciones y controles policiales en 450 “puntos críticos”.
A las víctimas, en su mayoría provenientes del continente asiático, se les prometía mejores condiciones de vida que incluían su traslado a países como Perú o Emiratos Árabes Unidos.
Sin embargo, muchas veces ni siquiera llegaban a dichos destinos sino que se las desviaba a países del sudeste asiático como Tailandia y Birmania para ser obligadas a cometer un fraude en el sector de las telecomunicaciones, en el bancario o más en general en internet.
“Este modus operandi se está extendiendo, con víctimas procedentes de otros continentes y nuevos centros de estafa que aparecen en lugares tan lejanos como América Latina”, señaló la subdirectora de Comunidades Vulnerables de Interpol, Rosemary Nalubega. EFE
人蛇拐到外國從事網路詐騙 犯罪產業日趨國際化
2023/12/9 20:20
（中央社曼谷8日綜合外電報導）國際刑警組織（INTERPOL）今天表示，首波針對人口販運和網路詐騙掛鉤的取締行動顯示，犯罪產業日趨國際化，源頭不僅限於東南亞，遠至拉丁美洲都有詐騙中心。
路透社報導，國際刑警組織表示，20多個國家的執法單位今年10月搜查數以百計非法交易和走私熱點，據了解，其中許多被用來販運被害人以進行網路詐騙，規模宛如企業運作，被害人經常遭受肢體暴力。
國際刑警組織說，這場協作行動導致數百人被捕，同時顯示犯罪活動「地理足跡不斷擴大」，案例包括馬來西亞人被高薪工作機會誘騙到秘魯；以及烏干達人被帶到杜拜，然後到泰國和緬甸，他們被持槍的守衛關押，被迫學習如何詐騙銀行業者。
雖然多數案例仍然發生在東南亞，但國際刑警組織弱勢群體事務助理主任納魯貝加（Rosemary Nalubega）在聲明中說：「這種作案手法正在蔓延，被害人來自其他大洲，甚至遠至拉丁美洲都有新的詐騙中心。」
這種現象出現在東南亞，聯合國表示有數十萬人遭到犯罪集團拐賣，被迫在詐騙中心和其他近年興起的非法網路活動中工作。
聯合國說，快速成長的詐騙中心每年產生數以十億計美元的收入。
路透社上個月一項調查詳述犯罪活動的出現及資金運作，檢視一個在泰國以中國公民名義註冊的加密帳戶，如何從美國區塊鏈分析公司所稱與詐騙有關的加密錢包收到數百萬美元；其中一名受害者是美國公民。
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