Hundreds of Kenyans have been rescued from human trafficking networks operating online scam centres in Southeast Asia in 2026, according to the United States Embassy in Nairobi.
The rescue operations come amid a fresh crackdown by the United States government on international criminal organisations accused of trafficking foreign nationals and forcing them to participate in online fraud activities.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 6, the US Embassy said the latest sanctions were aimed at dismantling networks responsible for recruiting Kenyans and other foreigners through deceptive means before transporting them abroad for forced labour.
“Hundreds of Kenyans were rescued from scam centres in Southeast Asia in 2026. These sanctions target the criminal organisations trafficking Kenyans and others abroad into forced labour in online scam centres,” the embassy stated.
The sanctions were announced on Thursday, November 5, and target four individuals and 41 entities allegedly connected to the Cambodia-based Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organisation (TCO).
According to the US Department of State, the organisation operates sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud schemes targeting victims in the United States and other countries.
Some of the operations are reportedly conducted from large compounds in Southeast Asia, where trafficked individuals are forced to carry out online scams.
The latest action targets individuals and companies accused of providing financial and material support to the criminal network.
It also builds on previous sanctions imposed in October 2025 and June 2026 as Washington intensifies efforts to disrupt the organisation’s operations.US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the government remained committed to pursuing criminal networks involved in cybercrime and human trafficking.
“No criminal network is beyond reach. The Trump Administration will continue to expose, sanction, and dismantle the criminal networks that prey on Americans through cybercrime, fraud, and extortion,” Pigott said.
The sanctions are being enforced through the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which is targeting the financial and corporate structures believed to facilitate the network’s activities.
In a separate action, Washington also sanctioned Malaysian national Chui Kok Wa over allegations that he managed a network of scammers operating from Madagascar.
The group is accused of defrauding American victims through various schemes, including those involving digital assets.
Charges against Chui were unsealed on October 27 at the US District Court for the District of Columbia, where he was accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Kenya has previously been identified as one of the countries whose nationals are recruited through fake overseas employment opportunities before being trafficked to Southeast Asia.
Some victims are reportedly taken abroad under the promise of legitimate jobs before being forced to participate in online fraud operations.
The latest developments also draw attention to Kenya’s ongoing human trafficking challenges.
In the 2025 US Trafficking in Persons Report, Kenya was placed in Tier 2, a classification given to countries that do not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking but are making significant efforts towards meeting them.
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