Nepal, July 16 -- Hundreds of Bangladeshis have been rescued from Cambodia's infamous scam centres in recent weeks. Returnees described a similar pattern of being lured with promises of well-paid jobs, only to be issued visas that did not match the work they had been promised. By the time they reached Cambodia and their passports and documents were taken away, many realised they were being forced to scam unsuspecting elderly people.

Interviews with returnees reveal a trafficking network that recruits Bangladeshis with false job offers, sends them abroad through local brokers and agencies, and delivers them to heavily guarded compounds in Cambodia. Their testimonies suggest they were confined to scam centres in the Bokor Mountains or comp...