EXCLUSIVE: A Malaysian man, Mohd Addie Azrinn Abd Rahman, who was reportedly kidnapped by a syndicate in Myanmar, has escaped and is awaiting his return home, said Sabah Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) chief operations officer Jerry Jaimeh.

“He successfully escaped and is now somewhere near the border of Thailand because there were too many people trying to flee,” Jerry said on Friday.  

“The Malaysian embassy is making the necessary arrangements, and we are now waiting for his return.” 

He added that the media would be informed once Mohd Addie arrives in Kota Kinabalu.

Mohd Addie was reportedly kidnapped in October 2024 while accompanying a Chinese businesswoman to buy gold in Bangkok, a situation that came to light after being highlighted by MHO.

Shortly after arriving in Bangkok, his family began receiving desperate calls from him, pleading for money to secure his release.

His father, Abdul Rahman Hamid, 60, made a public plea to the Malaysian government for help, revealing that the captors had demanded a ransom of RM120,000, threatening to harvest his son’s organs if the ransom was not paid.

“He called us, crying and begging for help. We were helpless. They demanded so much money, and we just didn’t have it,” Abdul Rahman reported by The Vibes in October last year. 

“I just want my son back safe,” he said. 

The escape coincides with the rescue of 15 other Malaysians among 250 foreign workers who were freed from telecom fraud centres in Myanmar’s Karen State several weeks ago, BBC News reported. 

The workers, from 20 different nationalities, were handed over by the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), an ethnic armed group accused of protecting these scam compounds.

Among them were 15 Malaysians. 

According to Thai authorities, the workers were lured with promises of high-paying jobs or were deceived into believing they would be working in Thailand. 

They were forced to participate in online criminal activities, including love scams, crypto fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling.

This development follows a pledge by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to Chinese President Xi Jinping to crack down on these scam centres. 

In response, Thailand has restricted power and fuel supplies along the Thai-Myanmar border and imposed stricter banking and visa regulations to prevent scam operators from using Thailand as a transit hub.

Sabah Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation is closely monitoring the situation, and Jerry Jaimeh expressed optimism about Mohd Addie’s safe return. “The Malaysian embassy is doing all they can. We are hopeful that he will be reunited with his family soon,” he said.

The Malaysian embassy in Thailand is currently making arrangements for the safe return of the 15 Malaysians rescued from the scam centres. – February 28, 2025