Man sent to prison for trafficking victims to Myanmar scam compound
People trafficked in Myanmar compound scam after being promised lucrative jobs
- A Moroccan court has sentenced Nabil Moafik to five years in prison for human trafficking, marking the nation's first ruling against someone luring individuals to Asian scam compounds.
- Moafik recruited young Moroccans through a Facebook group, promising well-paid call centre jobs in Thailand, but they were subsequently trafficked to Myanmar.
- Victims were forced to work in online fraud and scam centres, with some reporting torture and having to pay ransoms in cryptocurrency for their release.
- Moafik denied the charges, stating he was merely a 'job mediator' who received a small fee for each recruit and was unaware of the illicit activities.
- The UN estimates approximately 120,000 people are trapped in such 'scam centres' globally, and the Moroccan foreign ministry has previously secured the release of 34 citizens from Myanmar.