In Laos' Golden Triangle, there's a place called Hongmen International Hotel. On the surface, it looks like a bar, but it's actually a hub for scams. The bar owner uses the bar as a front, secretly setting up hidden rooms for fraudulent activities. Locals say this owner claims to have strong connections, with a deputy police chief backing him, so he feels untouchable.
This place is no small operation. There are at least 100 people in the compound, many forced to be there. They run scams like "national plates," "military packages," and "elite chats," targeting big money from China. Employees are watched around the clock by security guards from Myanmar, who carry electric batons. If someone steps out of line or doesn't perform well, they're taken to a dark room and beaten.
The bar owner is also a shareholder in the operation and pays the deputy police chief a protection fee of 3,500 yuan per person each month. Everyone hopes the Lao and Chinese governments will step in soon, arrest the owner, and rescue those who have been trafficked.
