Special Economic Zone

US Department of State report warns casinos in Asian border towns, special economic zones increasingly used for human trafficking
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US Department of State report warns casinos in Asian border towns, special economic zones increasingly used for human trafficking

  The US Department of State (DOS) has described the trafficking of humans through casinos across Asia as a growing concern, with the practice particularly prevalent in Special Economic Zones and border towns such as Sihanoukville in Cambodia and the infamous “Golden Triangle”. The issue was outlined in the department’s 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report,…

DOJ indicts 8 suspects for human trafficking over Clark cyber scam hub
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DOJ indicts 8 suspects for human trafficking over Clark cyber scam hub

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted eight suspects involved in the operations of a cyber scam hub in Clark, Pampanga where more than 1,000 victims were recently rescued. A resolution of the DOJ Prosecution Task Force on Trafficking Cases dated May 22 recommended the filing of human trafficking charges against the suspects for allegedly…

'Wife wanted: Good salary' — Radio Free Asia
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'Wife wanted: Good salary' — Radio Free Asia

Laotians are worried that a recent string of “wife wanted” ads on social media – offering payments of thousands of dollars per month – will lure young women into human trafficking operations where they will be abused and forced to work like slaves. “Lao wife wanted; good salary: 100 million kip [nearly U.S. $6,000] per…

Laos in limbo heading into 2023 – East Asia Forum
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Laos in limbo heading into 2023 – East Asia Forum

Author: Kearrin Sims, James Cook University Laos experienced compounding social and economic pressures in 2022. The headline news story of the year was the country’s dire external debt. 2022 was also significant as it marked the 10th anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone — a community development worker who provided successful alternatives to…

Asean’s war against human trafficking
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Asean’s war against human trafficking

After drug dealing, human trafficking is the second largest criminal industry in the world. The International Labour Organization’s latest report —Global Estimates of Modern Slavery—said 50 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021. Of these victims, 28 million were in forced labor and 22 million were trapped in forced marriage. The number of…

In Myanmar, human trafficking hub forces Filipinos into crypto scam
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In Myanmar, human trafficking hub forces Filipinos into crypto scam

MANILA, Philippines – Twelve Filipinos were able to flee Myanmar’s Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone or Yatai New City after being allegedly forced to engage in a cryptocurrency scam by Chinese mafia. The incident revealed by Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, November 22, is one of many human trafficking incidents reported in the economic hub….

Guide to Investigating Organized Crime in the Golden Triangle: Chapter 4 — Human Trafficking
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Guide to Investigating Organized Crime in the Golden Triangle: Chapter 4 — Human Trafficking

Table of Contents | Introduction | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 Illustration: Nodjadong Boonprasert for GIJN The networks that smuggle people through the Golden Triangle are essentially the same as those that trade in drugs. The reason is simple: only those gangs know the routes and have the…

Finding new nests: Sihanoukville crackdowns forcing human trafficking rings to relocate – Khmer Times (Cambodia)
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Finding new nests: Sihanoukville crackdowns forcing human trafficking rings to relocate – Khmer Times (Cambodia)

Crackdowns on human trafficking involving job scams in Preah Sihanouk province are proving to be so successful that criminal syndicates are forced to move out and find new provinces to relocate. Of late, Pursat province has come into the spotlight with Interior Minister Sar Kheng expressing his concern that it is becoming a new hotspot…

Hontiveros bares fake job ads, trafficking of Pinoys to Myanmar for crypto scam
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Hontiveros bares fake job ads, trafficking of Pinoys to Myanmar for crypto scam

Franco Luna – Philstar.com November 21, 2022 | 6:34pm MANILA, Philippines (Updated 7:38 p.m.) — Filipinos are being recruited through fake job ads and forced into cryptocurrency investment scams, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Monday, adding the Chinese syndicate behind it wants to form an “all-Filipino team of scammers” because of their proficiency in English. In her…