The process is extremely difficult, rescuing a Chinese Academy of Sciences doctor trapped in Myanmar
When you notice something is wrong,
He has lost his freedom.
Author: Feng Qunxing, Wang Qinyi
Good news, Dr. Zhang Chuan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who was cheated to Myanmar, is going home soon!
Previously, the help seeking information released by Zhang Chuan's friend received public attention. According to a friend, Zhang Chuan was "scammed to Myanmar for a year and forced to work 18 hours a day while being closely monitored.".
At noon today, Global People learned from rescue volunteers that Zhang Chuan has left Myanmar and arrived in Thailand. He will be returning home by plane in the next two days, and the police and Zhang Chuan's family will go to pick him up.
Why do highly educated PhDs fall into the trap of fraud?
Global People interviewed informed individuals and escapees who had similar experiences. Their narration uncovered the dark secrets of the fraud park.
Trapped in the wonderful tile bottom
Volunteer Ah Long, who participated in the rescue, told Global People reporter that the rescue operation was actively promoted by various forces such as the Chinese police, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. He also participated in it, and it took about a week before and after. He couldn't go into too much detail and could only say that it was "extremely difficult". However, Zhang Chuan's current physical condition is still good.
·Communication information between Ah Long and Zhang Chuan's family.
How was Zhang Chuan trapped in Myanmar?
According to media reports, Zhang Chuan obtained his doctoral degree in 2018 and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Science and Technology of China after graduation. The common impression of him among classmates and colleagues is that he is honest, intelligent, but not very talkative.
Zhang Chuan's girlfriend, Ms. Yang, told the media that Zhang Chuan's family background is ordinary, and his mother is paralyzed and bedridden.
Due to debt issues, Zhang Chuan contacted the intermediary for several months and after repeated investigation and verification, decided to go to Singapore to do "translation work" - the intermediary said that the basic salary was 15000 yuan, and if done well, he could receive 40000 to 50000 yuan per month.
In August 2022, Zhang Chuan embarked on a journey but was transported to Mekong, Thailand. This place is bordered by a river and faces Myanmar across the river. Across the river is the infamous "fraud stronghold" Miaowadi. When Zhang Chuan reacted, he had already lost his freedom.
Zhang Chuan's experiences are almost identical to Ah Shui's experiences.
Ashui is from Hubei and is 40 years old this year. He has opened a Chinese restaurant, done business, and also ventured into Thailand and Singapore, never expecting to be deceived.
But this time, he fell for his own sense of luck.
In September 2022, A Shui applied for a visa in Laos and met Mr. Gao, who is also a Chinese. Mr. Gao said he wants to open a Chinese restaurant in Miaowadi and invited Ah Shui to come over for training.
Thinking about the chaos in Miaowa Di, A Shui was a bit worried. But Mr. Gao promised A Shui that from China to Miaowaldi, it must be through a formal visa; I came to Miaowadi for 3 months and paid Ashui 50000 yuan regardless of whether I received training or not. Transportation and accommodation expenses will be paid separately.
A Shui decided to take a break. He really needed money: his Chinese restaurant closed down, his daughter fell ill, and his monthly medical expenses were at least 3000 yuan.
In March 2023, Ashui traveled from Bangkok to Mekong according to the arrangement of General Manager Gao. The car sped all the way, getting more and more remote, and finally stopped by a river that was forty or fifty meters wide.
A boat has already been parked on the river, with a simple hull and no seats. Crossing the river is Myanmar.
"Isn't this illegal immigration?" A Shui called "Mr. Gao" and the other person comforted him: "If you want to go back, you can do it now, but you've already walked here. Why don't you go and see it with your own eyes?"?
After hesitating for a moment, A Shui boarded the ship and said, "It's a bit embarrassing to go home at that time and make others laugh."
In the first few days, Mr. Gao strolled around with him, saying that he wanted to carefully inspect the storefront. Two to three kilometers north of the building where Ashui lives is the infamous UK Park, while to the south is the equally competitive Huanya Park and KK Park, but those seem to be none of his business.
"At that time, I was completely focused on doing catering training, and everything else had nothing to do with me," Ashui recalled.
·Actual photos of KK Park exposed by the media.
Experience the "Pig Slaying Plate" firsthand
Ashui truly realized something was wrong about 10 days after arriving at Miaowa Di. Mr. Gao began to frequently mention his desire to establish a company and lead clients in investing in virtual currency.
Computers and broadband were brought to the building, and the "company" was quickly established. Several new people came to the building, including Chinese and Burmese Chinese.
Everyone receives a study material to systematically learn the language of "pig killing plate", including how to talk about their own life philosophy and values, shape their own character, how to talk about emotions with others, make them willing to invest, and so on.
At that time, Ashui had not heard of the term "pig killing plate" and only thought that these people knew some insider information and could obtain high investment returns. As a result, the "supervisor" Zai Zai directly said that there was no "insider information", and the company was just trying to deceive these people's money.
Ashui panicked: This is a criminal act!
Mr. Gao asked him, "Isn't this much more profitable than opening a restaurant?"? You can earn a year's worth of money in just one month. If you're willing to do it, I'll increase your share.
Only then did he figure out the process: first, screen the "high-quality" women who might enter the set on Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Tiktok and other software.
Women who have a certain level of financial ability, have a bad relationship with their husbands, or enjoy showing off their wealth and complaining on social media are the most easily targeted "piglets".
Next is to talk about emotions. Scammers use dating techniques to gain the trust and dependence of the woman, and then induce her to invest.
·The police exposed fraudulent accounts on social media.
"They have a lot of rhetoric, brainwashing customers to uninstall the national anti fraud app. For example, our investment platform is engaged in foreign virtual currency transactions, and only after uninstalling the national anti fraud app can we successfully avoid taxes." Ashui told Global Times.
In order to prevent the female party from reporting fraud and causing the "investment" platform to be shut down by the police, the "company" even has dedicated technical personnel who can achieve "one customer using one website".
It is impossible to enter and exit freely, as there are people with guns guarding the ground floor day and night. Every morning at 11 o'clock, all "hands" go to the office area to start the day's tasks.
Everyone has issued a brand new work phone, and it is strictly prohibited to bring personal phones. There is a blackboard next to the wall, with each person's billing amount written in order of ranking. As for the names on the blackboard, they are all code names.
Looking at the unfamiliar sky outside the window, A Shui felt scared. He pretended to be studying hard, but the learning outcomes were not good.
"Do you know what to do if you can't do it well in a big company? It's all about using an electric stick or shutting you down for a few days." Mr. Gao smiled and said to Ah Shui.
Lucky people
A Shui did not receive corporal punishment because the company was understaffed, so we still need to capture him first. However, he later learned that even large companies tend to focus on "soft" products first and then "hard" ones, as the company's goal is still to deceive and pull orders.
He begged Mr. Gao that he was too old to do this job. "Mr. Gao replied, 'Yes, but you must first invite a few young people over.'"
Seeing that Ah Shui had no intention of recruiting new members, "Mr. Gao" finally stood up and asked Ah Shui to pay a "compensation fee" of 80000 yuan, and later talked about 42000 yuan.
Afraid of losing its value and being sold to other parks, A Shui quickly contacted his wife and paid the money on May 11th. In the afternoon, the company took Ah Shui's private phone and said, "This matter needs to be dealt with again.".
Ah Shui's intuition is not very good: if he loses money, the "company" may not necessarily let him go back, and he may even be sold! He decided to run away that night.
The park is newly built, with only one building. To the north of the building is a armed security guard, and to the west is an outdoor staircase.
Going down the stairs to the first floor is the kitchen where A Shui usually cooks. Walk a few tens of meters eastward from the stairs and bypass a large septic tank, which leads to the Mekong River separating the Mekong River from the Miaowadi River.
A Shui sat in the hallway until after 2 o'clock in the morning, waiting for everyone else to fall asleep before going down to the first floor. The cat stayed by the stairs for another 30 minutes, trying to see if anyone noticed him running away - at this point, he could also make an excuse to say that there were electrical appliances in the kitchen that were not turned off properly.
"As a result, no one noticed, so I walked quickly along the septic tank, afraid of running and startling the security guard. I didn't even wear shoes, so I wore a pair of shorts." Ashui recalled, walking several tens of meters, he was trembling with fear.
Walking to the river, there were two military stations in the north and south, and A Shui dared not linger. He bent down and walked into the water. The stones at the bottom of the water were very slippery, and if he wasn't careful, he was washed down by the water and hit his waist hard against the stones on the shore.
Ashui didn't have time to feel the pain - in case someone gets washed up near the military station, the previous efforts will be in vain. He swam desperately towards the opposite bank, grabbing wild vines and climbing up the nearly 90 degree embankment.
"On the other side of the river, there are scattered parks. I was worried about encountering Burmese people and selling me over, so I ran along the messy grass and muddy road in an S-shape. After running for over an hour, I saw a security booth and felt that it was not as dangerous anymore. So I gestured to them."
After repeated communication, the Thai person understood Ashui's situation and wanted to take him to the Mekong Immigration Bureau.
The motorcycle was speeding along the path, passing a fork in the road and heading west. Ashui was frightened and asked him to stop. The other party saw Ah Shui's concern and showed him the work card. Speaking of which, A Shui still feels scared.
Afterwards, Ashui was taken to the Mekong Immigration Office and later transferred to the Bangkok Immigration Office. Due to not having a passport, A Shui stayed at the immigration office in Bangkok until June 15th and was confirmed by the Chinese embassy before returning to China.
Compared to those who are trapped or even disconnected, A Shui feels "too lucky" and "if he takes one wrong step, all his previous efforts will be wasted.".
·The numerous scars left by A Shui during his escape.
Behind the ransom
Most people who can return to their home country have to pay ransom.
Aaron told Global People that to persuade fraudulent companies to release people, they usually need to find influential local people as collateral.
The forces behind the company and the park are intertwined, and there may be dozens of fraudulent companies standing in a park. Only by accurately locating the victims can suitable intermediaries be found to intervene.
Illegal immigration fees, accommodation fees, water and electricity expenses, even computer usage fees, floor wear and tear fees, work confidentiality fees, air breathing fees, boss mental damage fees... Fraudulent companies will calculate the costs of buying and using people onto the family members.
From finding a decent intermediary to paying ransom, and then sending the trapped back to their home country, the rescue process often involves multiple people and is intertwined, making it difficult to withstand any mishaps. "Every step requires a person who is particularly honest and reliable."
Aaron emphasized that without a reliable "intermediary", money cannot be easily handed over to fraudulent companies - if fraudulent companies find that their families respond to their demands, they will inevitably hold the trapped person as a bargaining chip and continuously demand money.
Some of the trapped people were already from poor families, and their families were forced to raise the ransom by smashing pots and selling iron, which made Ah Long feel particularly uncomfortable: "If one person is deceived, the whole family will return to poverty."
Aaron also noticed that there is a trend towards younger people going to Myanmar, and even many "post-05" people have emerged. Most of their families are not wealthy, and their parents are busy making a living and rarely inquire about their children's lives.
Teenagers have nothing to do in society and are easily incited to form cliques and smuggle out of the country. "I would like to appeal to parents to pay more attention to their children's spiritual world."
At the busiest time, Ah Long had to connect with five or six trapped people at the same time - their phones kept ringing in the middle of the night, and each message could involve hundreds of thousands of yuan and a human life.
Over the past two years, Ah Long has assisted the police in rescuing hundreds of people. His name is on the final thank-you list for the popular movie "All in One's Name".
He wants to remind everyone to remain vigilant in the face of temptation.
