NAPTIP Repatriates 23 Victims Of Human Trafficking From Thailand

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has repatriated 23 Nigerian youths suspected to be victims of human trafficking from Thailand, in what it described as a renewed crackdown on organised criminal networks preying on vulnerable Nigerians.

The operation, carried out with the support of Eden (Myanmar) and critical assistance from the British Government, led to the safe return of the victims to Nigeria. The Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok also played a key role in facilitating the repatriation process, including the issuance of Emergency Travel Certificates for some of the returnees.

According to a statement issued by Vincent Adekoye, head of press and public relations unit at NAPTIP, the victims were deceived and trafficked to Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, where they were forced into cyber-enabled crimes.

NAPTIP disclosed that the trafficked youths were recruited under false promises of scholarships and lucrative employment opportunities abroad. However, upon arrival in their destination countries, they were allegedly coerced into engaging in romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, investment scams and other online criminal activities.

Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, described the development as a disturbing new dimension in human trafficking, targeting young Nigerians with computer and IT skills.

“This is a new dimension of the human trafficking phenomenon that targets vibrant and intelligent Nigerians,” Bello said. “The traffickers go after boys and girls who possess skills, especially in computer and IT, and those who do not drink or smoke. They promise scholarships and gainful employment.”

She revealed that some victims were enrolled in language schools, particularly to learn Chinese, and later deployed as translators or customer care representatives to deceive victims in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia and Canada.

According to the agency, the victims were housed in hostels under tight surveillance and forced to meet daily fraud targets. They were reportedly monitored by armed guards and subjected to torture if they failed to comply.

“The victims explained that those who refused to carry out the instructions of the traffickers were subjected to severe torture. Some were allegedly taken to what they described as a ‘dark room,’ while others, particularly young non-smokers, were threatened with organ harvesting,” Bello said.

The NAPTIP boss noted that the agency has intensified collaboration with international partners to dismantle the transnational syndicates behind the operations.

She reiterated her earlier pledge to make the country increasingly hostile to human traffickers through improved intelligence gathering, enhanced partnerships and more aggressive enforcement strategies.

NAPTIP expressed appreciation to civil society organisations in the South Asia region, Eden (Myanmar), the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok for their support in securing the victims’ release and return.

The agency assured that investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend the ringleaders of the trafficking network, warning that perpetrators would face the full weight of the law.

The repatriation comes weeks after Bello vowed to upscale efforts to detect, dislodge and dismantle trafficking syndicates targeting Nigerians at home and abroad.