Moroccan Hostages Freed from Myanmar Border Camps After Families Pay Ransom

The three hostages have left the camps in Myanmar, confirmed to SNRTnews the father of one of them, specifying that his 25-year-old son was indeed released after the payment of a ransom of around 100,000 dirhams. The young man spent three months in these camps, but did not suffer much physical torture apart from some "electric shocks", his father said, explaining that his son was cooperative and carried out all the orders of his tormentors.

His release follows a long period of negotiations with the armed groups, led by Burmese and Thai organizations. "The officials worked tirelessly to free these young men, and are still mobilized to free the other hostages. The intervention is difficult, as the region on the border is controlled by rebels and armed soldiers, requiring the intervention of generals and international organizations to serve as mediators," details the father of the released man.

The parent did not fail to emphasize the decisive role played by the Moroccan consulate in Thailand, which "continued to monitor the situation of his son before his return to Marrakech," informing that his son "stayed in hotels in the Thai capital for about a month" after his release. Like the other victims, the young man was contacted by an intermediary from the criminal network who offered him an attractive job offer in e-commerce.

This is how the victim went to Thailand via Malaysia, accompanied by "13 other people, four of whom were released," continued the father, adding that "when he (his son) left, 25 others were going to join them, but we prevented them..." The parent of the released man confirmed that he had filed a complaint with the Moroccan justice system and provided all the information in his possession to the investigators to dismantle this network, whose intermediaries continue to recruit in Morocco.