Kenyans among Africans held after Madagascar scam centre raids
About 20 people from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe are in custody after raids on Chinese-run scam compounds in Madagascar. Police there say many were lured on Facebook, had their passports taken and were forced to scam.
Authorities in Madagascar have linked online scam centres on the island to a criminal group that ran similar operations in Cambodia, AFP reported in a story carried by The Standard. About 20 people from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe remain in custody. Officials said initial findings suggest some of them may be victims of human trafficking. Police crime unit chief Hassan Mouigni told AFP that the Africans said they had been recruited on Facebook to work in Madagascar's commercial sector. He said the boss took most of their passports when they arrived, and they were forced to scam people. "They were victims of deception," Mouigni said. Madagascar's justice ministry said 13 Chinese-run scam compounds were shut down in August and September. The raids were joint operations with the US Department of Justice. The sites ran romance, cryptocurrency and investment fraud. According to the ministry, 148 Chinese nationals have been extradited to China. The US authority said about $52 million in cryptocurrency was seized in a single day and more than 3,200 electronic devices were processed. US authorities said a Malaysian national, Chui Kok Wa, is charged with running one romance scam…
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