Having believed that he had found love, a 19-year-old boy from China ended up being sold to a scam compound in Myanmar for CNY100,000 or nearly ~RM59,000 by his 17-year-old girlfriend.
According to a report by 8World News, the victim’s older sister explained that he had met the teenage girl at a recreational centre last year, and that she often dressed in sexy clothing and donned designer bags that seemed to be knockoffs.
The girl also claimed that her parents were investment managers who ran businesses in Myanmar, and often attempted to convince the victim to follow her to Myanmar for work purposes.
The victim’s older sister also added that the victim had a habit of falling in love with people and called him a “typical love-sick person”.
A trip to Thailand that turned into a nightmare
In February of this year, the victim travelled to Bangkok with the girl without informing his family, and they only found out about his whereabouts from social media.
However, things quickly took a turn for the worse when the girl led him to the Thailand-Myanmar border, where she informed him that she was going to pick someone up and abandoned him there.
Soon, an armed man showed up and confiscated the victim’s phone and passport, before taking him into a scam compound where his head was shaved.
He managed to convince his captors to return his phone to him, using the excuse of playing mobile games, and quickly informed his family of his predicament.
“My brother told me people with guns had taken him away,” his sister said.
He ultimately spent 4 months at the compound, where he was forced to work 16 to 20 hours a day running scams. Should he not meet his captors’ target, he would be beaten with a metal rod and locked in a small, dark room. He was also often left without food.
As a result of the long-term torture, he ended up losing his hearing.
His family pulled together money to free him
Due to his failing to meet his targets, he was told to pay compensation to secure his release, to which his family managed to raise CNY350,000 (~RM205,886) and bought his freedom. He managed to return home in June.
The 17-year-old ‘girlfriend’, on the other hand, was arrested during her trip back to China after she had spent 10 days in Thailand.
Considering the victim’s frequent nightmares and paranoia over being taken, the victim’s family hopes that the girl will be severely punished by the law as she faces fraud charges and a trial.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
Also read: 14yo Missing Girl Found in Johor After Running Away From KL Home to be with Her 47yo Boyfriend
