NGOCSTIP – Two Chinese nationals have gone missing near the Thailand-Myanmar border, raising fears that they may have fallen victim to a human trafficking network. Thai authorities are currently investigating their cases, which show disturbing similarities to the plight of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who reportedly became trapped in a trafficking scheme in the same region.
The missing individuals, identified as Yang Zeqi and Wu Jiaqi, disappeared under mysterious circumstances after traveling to Thailand in late December 2024 and early January 2025. Both cases have raised alarm, highlighting the dangers posed by organized human trafficking operations targeting unsuspecting individuals.
Yang Zeqi, a male model, was last seen in December 2024 after traveling to Thailand for a supposed film audition. According to his cousin, Mou, who shared the story on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Yang informed his friends about the audition and flew to Bangkok on December 20. From there, he was reportedly taken to the Thailand-Myanmar border.
Shortly after arriving, Yang sent an emergency message to his friends, but he subsequently lost contact. On December 29, 2024, Yang briefly reappeared in a video call with his mother, assuring her he was safe. However, his mother noticed injuries on his face and sensed he was in distress. Concerned, Yang’s family contacted both Chinese authorities and the embassies in Thailand and Myanmar, but his whereabouts remain unknown.
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The second missing individual, Wu Jiaqi, is a 21-year-old woman who vanished shortly after arriving in Thailand on January 6, 2025. Her father reported that Wu had traveled abroad for the first time, accompanied by a friend she had met less than a month prior on social media.
Wu initially stayed in touch with her family, sharing her location and updates upon landing in Thailand. However, after someone warned her not to travel to Myanmar, Wu suddenly went silent later that same day. Hotel records revealed that she checked in at 5 a.m. but left just four hours later, raising questions about her movements and intentions.
The circumstances surrounding these cases echo the experience of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who traffickers lured to Thailand under false pretenses. They promised Wang an acting job but trapped him in a trafficking ring upon his arrival. He recounted how they forcibly shaved his head, confined him in a building with 50 other Chinese nationals, and trained him to work in fraudulent call centers.
Fortunately, authorities rescued Wang, but his ordeal highlights how trafficking networks increasingly target individuals by disguising their schemes as legitimate opportunities.
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Thai police, in collaboration with Chinese authorities and local embassies, are now working to trace Yang and Wu’s whereabouts. Their cases have sparked renewed calls for heightened vigilance and international cooperation to combat human trafficking along the Thailand-Myanmar border, an area notorious for such activities.
