55 Taiwanese returned from Myanmar fraud rings

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) A total of 55 Taiwanese nationals, suspected of being involved in or victims of fraud rings and human trafficking in Myanmar, returned to Taiwan on Wednesday morning, the National Police Agency confirmed.

Authorities are still in the process of determining which individuals were perpetrators and which were victims.

Of those, 25 individuals were wanted in connection with other criminal cases and were taken into custody in Taiwan, the agency said in a statement. No other details were provided.

The agency said it formed a cross-functional task force in late February and, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sent personnel to coordinate with authorities in Thailand and Myanmar to help bring stranded Taiwanese nationals home.

Also on Wednesday, the agency said in a separate news release that it had dismantled a human trafficking ring based in Taiwan in March.

A total of four suspects were arrested, and six mobile phones used in the criminal operation were seized.

The four were indicted in April for allegedly working with fraud rings in Myanmar and Thailand to lure Taiwanese nationals into scam operations by posting overseas job ads that promised high salaries, the agency said.