Several young Moroccans have been abducted by armed militias in Thailand after being lured with fake high-paying jobs in e-commerce. The Thai government has expressed its willingness to cooperate with the governments of all countries whose citizens have been similarly lured. The Thai Embassy in Morocco has issued an official statement on the abduction of young Moroccans by human trafficking networks, who lured them into the country with promises of high-paying e-commerce jobs. The embassy acknowledged that «attracting people through misleading job offers in Southeast Asia is a recent phenomenon affecting citizens of many countries». It also confirmed collaboration with governments in Southeast Asia and Africa to address the issue. The statement emphasized that «victims include citizens from various African countries, not just Morocco». The embassy highlighted the «difficulty in determining the exact number of victims, their nationalities and location due to ongoing investigations». The same statement indicates that the Thai government has instructed its embassies in Africa «to implement additional preventive measures in visa issuance» to reduce the risk of people falling victim to these networks. The embassy clarified that «many individuals apply for visas in good faith, misled by these networks». They noted that some applicants may provide false information or use Thailand as a transit point. Furthermore, the statement stressed that the Thai Embassy in Rabat is committed to cooperate with affected countries. Parliament questions government Democratic Left Party deputy Fatima Tamini questioned Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita regarding the detainment of dozens of young Moroccans in Thailand under harsh conditions. She reported information indicating these individuals were abducted and forced to work in electronic fraud networks near the Myanmar border. Tamini described the exploitation these young people face, including forced labor, sleep deprivation, and torture for attempting to contact their families. She emphasized the deep concern among families, especially since the victims were lured by false promises of legitimate jobs. Tamini inquired about government actions to address the situation and if contact had been made with Thai and Burmese authorities to secure their release. Attraction and brutal treatment A Moroccan national named Youssef, one of the abductees in Thailand, used his Instagram story to call for help. He stated that he and others, including Moroccans, were living through a horrific ordeal and begged the authorities to intervene. Youssef clarified that his purpose in going public was not for attention but to raise awareness of their suffering in an unknown location. He also claimed the abductors demanded a ransom for his release. In a separate statement, Youssef's sister Zahra from Azilal revealed the torture and mistreatment her brother endured. She confirmed the confiscation of his phone and a phone call where he could not disclose details of the abuse. She also stated that her brother spoke to her on Saturday using another phone, adding that the militias holding him are treating him with cruelty and violence, after he spoke about the alleged kidnapping online. Zahra stated that her brother initially embarked on a tourist trip to Turkey and Austria before being deceived into traveling to Malaysia and Thailand under the promise of work and tourism.
