New Delhi: India on Monday repatriated a second batch of 197 of its nationals from Thailand in two military aircraft, days after they fled to Thai border town of Mae Sot from a notorious scam centre in Myanmar.

India brought back the first batch of 270 Indians from Thailand on Thursday.

The Indians were among 1,500 people from 28 countries who crossed over to Thailand late last month following the raid on the cybercrime hub of KK Park in Myanmarese city of Myawaddy.

“Today 197 Indian nationals have been repatriated to India from Mae Sot, Thailand by two special flights operated by the Indian Air Force,” the Indian embassy in Bangkok said.

“Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister of Thailand, visited Mae Sot this afternoon to oversee this operation,” the embassy said on social media.

It said the prime minister conveyed Thailand’s deep appreciation to the Indian government for its prompt repatriation of the detainees from Mae Sot.

The Thai prime minister also assured of continued cooperation from Thai authorities in facilitating repatriation of Indian nationals released from scam centres in Myanmar, the Indian mission said.

“Both sides reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to combating transnational crimes including cyber scams and human trafficking in the region, and to enhance cooperation among the relevant agencies in both countries for this purpose,” it said.

“The Indian nationals deported today were detained in Mae Sot after they had recently crossed into Thailand from Myawaddy, Myanmar, where they were allegedly working in the cyber scam centres,” it said.

The Indians were detained by Thai authorities for violation of Thai immigration laws when they had entered the country illegally.

The Indian embassy in Bangkok and the consulate in Chiang Mai coordinated with agencies of the Thai government to facilitate the repatriation.

The Indian embassy in Thailand once again advised Indian nationals to verify the credentials of foreign employers, and check the antecedents of recruiting agents and companies before taking up job offers overseas.

It said visa-free entry into Thailand for Indian passport holders is meant for tourism and short business purposes only, and should not be misused for taking up employment in Thailand.

The scam centres in Myanmar are involved in transnational cyber scams.

According to a UN report, hundreds of trafficked individuals of various nationalities were forced to carry out fraud in the centres. Similar centres are reportedly located in Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Malaysia as well.

The underground operations are often linked to criminal networks that recruit victims globally, putting them to work in facilities principally in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, the Philippines and Malaysia, the UN report said in May.¯