JAKARTA – Economic desperation led Ms Mawar (not her real name), a 26-year-old mother of two, to leave her home town of Medan, North Sumatra, in December 2024 for what she believed was a legitimate telemarketing job selling products for a company based in Myanmar.
Having learnt from a friend about the role that paid US$800 (S$1,070) a month, she packed her bags and flew to Bangkok via Jakarta, before continuing her journey to Myanmar by land.
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