NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar authorities sentenced 18 Nepalis to one year in prison for their involvement in illegal online scamming centers on Monday. These individuals were working in the Myawaddy region at Shwe Kokko and KK Park, hubs for telecom fraud and online gambling.

The Nepali Ambassador to Myanmar confirmed that the group had already spent two months in custody before the sentencing.

While 144 Nepalis have been rescued from such centers this fiscal year, this marks the first instance of a formal prison sentence.

The Nepali Embassy in Bangkok has maintained a travel advisory since August 2023 to warn citizens about human trafficking in the region.