They escaped south-east Asia’s scam compounds. Then they realised they were still trapped

The cyber-fraud industry has flourished in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar, with thousands of people trafficked into the industry. But even those who have managed to find a way out often cannot return home Artillery fire thundered. Windows shattered. Roofs caved in. And thousands of foreign workers – many who had been tricked and trafficked into the vast cyber-fraud industry that has flourished in south-east Asia – fled. For a brief moment, the regional crackdown appeared to mark a turning poi...

By Harriet Barber