A new crackdown on online scam centers has led to over 7,000 people from around the world being held in a Myanmar border town awaiting repatriation.

The whereabouts of some 20 Japanese nationals believed to have been present at a scam-operating center in eastern Myanmar

A sweeping crackdown led by authorities from Thailand, China and Myanmar has dismantled scam centers along the Thai-Myanmar border and freed thousands from nearly 30 countries, but helping them return home remains a big challenge,

Efforts to shut down online scam centers in Myanmar appeared to gain momentum on Monday as a top Chinese security official visited both sides of the Thai-Myanmar border.

A new crackdown on online scam centres has led to more than 7,000 people from around the world being held in a Myanmar border town awaiting repatriation. Those helping them say the unprecedented number is straining the resources of Thailand just across the border and leading to delays.