Photo/Illutration Shwe Kokko in eastern Myanmar is believed to be a hub for special fraud and other crimes. The photo was taken on May 9, 2024, from the Thai side of the border. (Shin Kasahara)

BANGKOK—Six Japanese nationals are being held captive in a “crime hub” for special fraud in eastern Myanmar near the border with Thailand, according to a nongovernmental organization.

The Civil Society Network for Victim Assistance in Human Trafficking, a Thai NGO, said in a report on Jan. 7 that more than 6,000 people from 21 countries are believed to be in captivity in the region.

A representative of the NGO said the Japanese nationals being held are five men and one woman.

“It is difficult to immediately rescue them” because their passports may have been taken away, the representative said.

The Japanese government is trying to verify the report.

“We are in the process of confirming the facts with the local authorities and will respond appropriately from the perspective of protecting Japanese nationals,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 14.

The NGO report said the hostages include 3,900 Chinese nationals and others from Indonesia, the Philippines, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Many were brought to Myanmar via Thailand as human trafficking victims. In Myanmar, criminal organizations physically and mentally abuse the hostages and force them to take part in special fraud crimes, the report said.

In many cases, exorbitant ransoms are demanded for their release.

Eastern Myanmar along the Thai border has been ruled by ethnic minority armed groups outside of government control for many years.

Chinese companies have formed bases for illegal casinos and special fraud schemes with armed groups there.

According to recent reports, the human traffickers lure victims to Thailand with job offers posted on social media.

They are then brought across the border to the crime hubs in Myanmar.

Earlier this month, a Chinese actor was rescued from the Myanmar side of the border a few days after he was lured to Thailand for a “photo shoot” and then disappeared.