Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat -Three Moroccan nationals are said to have been released from captivity in Myanmar after their families reportedly paid a ransom of MAD 100,000, or $10,000 per kidnapped person.
Moroccan outlet SNRTNews reported the news today, noting that other families are awaiting updates regarding their relatives who are still detained.
One of the victims’ father said that his son avoided physical violence only after he committed to being receptive of his kidnappers’ orders.
He said the kidnappers would show him how others who refuse to commit to orders are physically assaulted.
The father also acknowledged efforts by Morocco’s embassy in Thailand in cooperation with local authorities to help and facilitate the release of the kidnapped.
In May, Morocco’s Attorney General at the Court of Appeal in Casablanca ordered the opening of a judicial investigation into the kidnapping of Moroccan nationals by criminal gangs operating in Myanmar in the border areas with Thailand.
Some victims and families of victims have since been interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation. According to reports, at least 14 Moroccans were kidnapped in recent months, with the majority of them being trapped on the Thai border.
The victims ended up in the location after criminal networks specializing in human trafficking lured them with employment contracts in these areas, claiming they would be employed by international e-commerce companies in exchange for attractive salaries.
It turned out that this approach was only a means to deceive, lure, and exploit the victims.
Read also: Thai-Myanmar Case: Morocco’s Embassy in Bangkok Monitors Situation of Kidnapped Moroccans
In addition to subjecting their victims to forced labor under inhumane conditions, the Kidnappers hope to make considerable money by offering to release their victims in exchange for ransom.
While governments are typically dismissive of such offers from dangerous international criminal networks, desperate families are often willing to pay to secure the release of their inhumanely treated and psychologically battered relatives.
Morocco’s embassy in Bangkok said in a previous statement last month that it had been monitoring the situation and promised to do everything possible to help the victims.
Abderrahim Rahhaly, Morocco’s ambassador in Thailand, notably confirmed that several Moroccan nationals were being held by illegal organizations in rebel-held areas near the Myanmar-Thailand border.
Fabio Chinda, the Thai ambassador to Morocco, also promised that his country’s authorities will do whatever they can to contribute to solving the issue.
“These criminal activities have been perpetrated by citizens of various nationalities operating across international borders and which therefore require international cooperation and joint efforts in resolving the cases,” he stressed.
