700 Staff Held for Ransom by Chinese-Run Casino in Laos
$5,000 Welcome Bonus
A Laos casino is holding 700 Malaysian workers against their will for ransom. The workers were tempted to northern Laos by offers of jobs in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone. They asked Lao police for help but received no response.
4 Malaysians have escaped Laos, 6 others made it to the Malaysian embassy in Vientiane. Most of the workers are confined to their buildings in the Golden Triangle SEZ. The SE zone is a casino and tourism destination popular with Chinese nationals. UN warned of SEzs becoming trafficking and money laundering hubs for crime networks.
700 Malaysian workers were held captive by Chinese-run casino in Laos. The embassy in Vientiane is doing research on the issue. There is a growing number of victims preyed on by the Chinese crime network across southeast Asia.
