73 Pinoys in Laos cyber scam for repatriation

Seventy-three Filipinos among the 771 individuals arrested in a cyber scam operation in Laos will be repatriated, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday.

DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said post-arrival assistance will be provided to the Filipinos. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will facilitate the repatriation process.

The 771 individuals were arrested in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on the border with Myanmar and Thailand.

The SEZ, located in Bokeo province, is known to house illegal Chinese-owned casinos and hotels.

The crackdown was part of efforts to eliminate transnational crimes, according to the Laotian press.

Majority of the 771 persons detained were from Laos, Myanmar, and China. Other detainees were, aside from the Philippines, from Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Indonesia, Mozambique, Tunisia, Uganda, and Vietnam.