Back from hell: Survivor of Myanmar jobs scam returns home with scars, horror stories
Dan, who gave only his first name for safety and privacy reasons, is among 78 Kenyans who arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Saturday after being rescued from forced labour in Myanmar.
When Dan boarded a plane out of Nairobi four months ago, he believed he was headed for a better life.
With dreams of a stable teaching job in Thailand, he paid Sh200,000 to an agency that promised him an opportunity abroad. But instead of classrooms and lesson plans, he landed in what he now describes as “hell”.
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Dan, who gave only his first name for safety and privacy reasons, is among 78 Kenyans who arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Saturday after being rescued from forced labour in Myanmar. They were lured by the promise of lucrative jobs, only to be trafficked into rebel-held territories where they were forced into cybercrime syndicates.
“I left Nairobi with Sh300, and that is the only thing I have returned with. It is in my pocket as we speak. When I landed (in Myanmar), I was picked up by a big car like the one government people are driven in. I thought I had found my Canaan, but ended up in hell,” Dan said in an interview with the Daily Nation.
He recalls being driven for nearly eight hours at high speed, crossing a river, and realising too late that he had been duped.
“Once we crossed a river, I knew that I was done,” he said.
Instead of a teaching position, Dan found himself in a scam centre, working without pay and under constant threat. He was one of many forced to scam people across the world, targeting vulnerable groups like the elderly and the sick.
Never followed right procedure
“At first, you’re promised a good job, but when you get there, it’s not what you were told. I didn’t follow the right procedure. If I had known what lay ahead, I would never have gone. I ended up doing scamming work. We’ve suffered emotionally, physically and financially,” he said, as reported by the Nation.
Their captors warned them they would have to pay back the Sh700,000 reportedly used to traffic each of them if they refused to work.
“I was working under pressure, yet I was not paid any salary for the four months I was there, and there were fines and penalties. We were beaten, forced to sit in the sun for long, yet the weather there is bad,” Dan explained.
He now lives with the guilt of having defrauded innocent victims.
“I felt bad scamming people around the world, some as old as 80 years, and in hospices and care homes.”
Dan had travelled on a tourist visa, unable to afford a proper work permit. He now warns others against taking shortcuts.
“Do that little job you have, even if it is washing toilets,” he advised.
As he left captivity, Dan said he lost all his belongings, including his phone and laptop. His family, unaware of his return, remains in the dark.
The group was received by Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu. She said the return was part of continued rescue missions by the government, in collaboration with authorities in Thailand and Myanmar.
“Over the past month, rescue efforts have been undertaken, culminating in the recent return of 78 Kenyan nationals in two groups,” Njogu said.
She added that between 2022 and December 2024, 150 Kenyans had been rescued and repatriated from the Golden Triangle region in East Asia.
In 2025 alone, 175 have been brought back so far. The latest batch included 47 individuals who arrived in the morning and 31 who landed later in the day.
“We appreciate the support from Kenya Airways, HAART Kenya and all partners involved in providing shelter and psychosocial support. Special thanks to the multi-agency coordination team, Kenya Airports Authority and the media for highlighting these stories,” Njogu said.
Counselling for returnees
Before reintegrating into society, the returnees will undergo counselling and debriefing.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations will also take statements from them to gather more information on how they ended up in Myanmar.
The government is urging job seekers to verify offers through the Diaspora office and to avoid leaving the country without valid work permits or visas.
“There are no jobs in Thailand, India, or Malaysia. These countries also face unemployment challenges. If someone recruits you for work in these regions, you’re likely being trafficked. Run and report them to us,” Njogu warned.
Kenya’s Ambassador to Thailand, Lindsay Kiptiness Kimwole, said the trafficking of citizens into scam compounds is growing.
In January, 45 Kenyans were reported still trapped in Myanmar, with Thai authorities facing difficulties in locating and freeing them.
Exposure to cybercrime
While he welcomed the successful return of some, Kimwole expressed concern about the potential risks posed by the victims’ exposure to cybercrime operations.
“The Kenyans trained in scamming will return home with skills in online crimes, and your guess is as good as mine as to the threats they pose,” he said.
“Human trafficking and other transnational crimes in South East Asia are emerging as serious threats to global security and certainly our national security.”
He described the mission to rescue victims from rebel-controlled areas as “one of the most traumatising experiences” of his public life.
“The torture of Kenyans is the most painful thing for me as an ambassador and certainly my staff.”
Some of the returnees suffered serious injuries.
“Kenyan victims have returned home with broken limbs and noses, scars on their bodies and eye problems. One Kenyan died in Myanmar due to a botched stomach operation suspected to be for organ removal,” Kimwole said.
Dan may have returned with the same Sh300 he left with, but he came back changed.
Now haunted by the memories and determined to speak out, he hopes his story will save others from falling into the same trap.
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