An ethnic minority armed group guarding Myanmar's border says it has freed about 3,000 foreigners from scam centers in the country's east near Thailand.



A senior official of a Myanmar militia called BGF spoke to NHK on Sunday.



The BGF raided a site known as KK Park on Saturday. It is known as a hub for human trafficking, online fraud and other offenses. Chinese crime syndicates are believed to have used the site in recent years to expand their activities.



It is believed that many people from around the world, including Japan, have been forced to carry out fraud operations in the border area. Some people have been rescued, but many are said to remain confined.



The senior official said that the BGF had searched KK Park and other facilities, and the rescued foreigners came from 15 countries and regions. He added that Japanese nationals were not among them.



The official noted that over 90 percent of them were lured online to Myanmar with promises of high-paying jobs, but were forced to take part in criminal activities.



He said the operation centers are mostly managed by Chinese nationals.



The BGF plans to continue its raids at other facilities in Myanmar.