Warning: podcast spoilers
In the first 3 episodes (free to listen), the podcast team pulls the thread and finds that the scammers are a highly organized system of scammers.
They are based out of Myanmar, outside of the law of the central government (basically warlord country). They trick people with English skills into coming to Thailand for a job then smuggle them across the border without their know.
Recent news update: Just in the past week, Thailand used their military to invade and free thousands of people who were being held captive in these warlord towns, meaning this scam organization likely lost their pig butchering talent.
Well done Thailand. They need to free the slaves in the rest of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia now. (guardian article https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/19/myanmar-scam-c...).
The others are trickier as the government officials get paid off but it Thailand, China and Vietnam said free them or we close the border it would put a fair bit of pressure.