The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths suspected to have been trafficked to Thailand for cyber-enabled criminal activities.

The Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, disclosed the development on Wednesday, warning of a growing trend in which traffickers lure young Nigerians into online fraud operations across Southeast Asia.

NAPTIP’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Vincent Adekoye, stated that the rescue was conducted in collaboration with Eden (Myanmar), with critical support from the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok.

According to the agency, the victims were deceived with promises of scholarships and lucrative employment before being trafficked to countries including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.

The victims were reportedly forced into various cybercrime activities such as romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and fake investment schemes.

Describing this new pattern of exploitation, Bello explained that traffickers deliberately target intelligent youths with computer and IT skills, particularly those with clean health records.

“This is a new dimension of human trafficking that specifically targets vibrant and skilled Nigerians,” she said.
“The traffickers focus on boys and girls with IT and computer skills and even prefer those who do not drink alcohol or smoke. They lure them with promises of scholarships and gainful employment.”

Upon arrival in these countries, the victims were trained in scamming techniques and, in some cases, enrolled in language classes—particularly Chinese—before being deployed as online “customer care” agents to defraud unsuspecting targets.

The DG said the victims were forced to target individuals and organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, and Canada.

“They were housed in hostels with bunk beds, provided with gadgets, and compelled to meet daily targets,” Bello stated.
“Fierce-looking mafia handlers constantly monitored them, and anyone who refused to cooperate or failed to meet targets was tortured.”

Some victims reported extreme abuse.
“Those who resisted the traffickers’ demands were tortured inside what they described as a ‘dark room.’ Others reported cases of organ harvesting, especially among younger victims with no history of smoking,” she added.

Bello described the revelations as deeply disturbing and pledged that NAPTIP would intensify efforts to dismantle the syndicate behind the operation.

“We have reactivated our networks so that, with the support of our partners, this trafficking network will be dislodged and the ringleaders arrested,” she said.

She commended civil society organizations in the region, Eden (Myanmar), the British Government, and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok for facilitating the rescue and repatriation, including issuing emergency travel documents for some victims.

The latest rescue follows NAPTIP’s recent pledge to strengthen collaboration and scale up strategies to detect and disrupt emerging trafficking routes targeting Nigerians.