The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working closely with the Ministry of Public Security on the case and has instructed Vietnam’s diplomatic missions in Thailand and Myanmar to cooperate with local authorities in identifying the rescued individuals and carrying out necessary citizen protection measures.

Vietnamese authorities have been collaborating with their counterparts to investigate and prosecute Vietnamese citizens involved in criminal activities abroad in accordance with laws of both Vietnam and host countries.

Myanmar authorities are currently detaining multiple foreign nationals, including Vietnamese citizens, following a crackdown on online scam operations along the Thailand-Myanmar border, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said.

Thich Minh Tue is a Buddhist monk who captured hearts in Vietnam last year when he undertook a barefoot hike across the country that met the disapproval of controlling communist authorities. He has since gone international. In December, he crossed from Vietnam into Laos before entering Thailand.

More than 7,000 foreigners rescued from international scam call centres in Shwe Kokko and KK Park in Myawaddy, Myanmar are waiting to be repatriated to their home countries, according to the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF).