China begins repatriating more than 1,000 scam workers rescued from Myanmar

Chinese nationals, believed to have worked at scam centres in Myanmar, boarded a plane at Thailand’s Mae Sot International Airport before being sent back to China (Sarot Meksophawannakul/AP)

An airlift carrying more than 1,000 Chinese nationals who had worked at online scam centres in eastern Myanmar has begun, after the rescued workers were taken across the border to Thailand and put on chartered flights to China.

Thailand, China and Myanmar have co-ordinated efforts over the past month to shut down the centres that scammed victims around the world out of billions of dollars through false romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes.