Thousands of people from dozens of countries held in Myanmar's border scam centers are awaiting repatriation — but is this really the end of the billion-dollar scam center operations?

Thailand said Friday it had agreed with Myanmar and China to repatriate thousands of alleged scam center workers stranded in camps at the Thai-Myanmar border, part of a crackdown on transnational crime.

A group of 200 Chinese nationals plucked from scam centres in Myanmar crossed into Thailand and were flown home on Thursday, as part of a multinational effort to repatriate hundreds caught up in massive internet fraud schemes,

Some 5,000 Chinese nationals will be sent home, with an average number of 1,000 a week, starting next week, the Thai Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told reporters.

Thousands of foreigners freed from online scam-operating centres in Myanmar are stuck in limbo on the border with Thailand after a multinational crackdown on the compounds run by criminal gangs, three sources told Reuters on Monday.

Thousands of Indonesians have been enticed abroad for better-paying jobs, only to end up in the hands of transnational scam operators.