BANGKOK, August 10. /TASS/. A Russian woman who fled from Myanmar to Thailand told investigators that she was forced to participate in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes, according to the Manager Online newspaper.

According to the publication, 19-year-old Maria, a native of Chelyabinsk, is still under medical supervision at a hospital, where she is receiving medical and psychological assistance.

The woman said that about two months ago, an acquaintance suggested she go to work in Myanmar, in the city of Mandalay, promising a salary of about $3,000 a month. Initially, Maria came to China, after which she flew to Yangon. There, she was met by a handler who asked her to use her appearance and charm to deceive men into investing in cryptocurrency. After the woman refused to comply with these demands, they began to beat her.

Later, Maria was transported to the city of Tachileik on the border with Thailand, from where she managed to escape. According to her, before that she had been held in a two-story house in a mountainous area by a river. Inside the building, there were about eight men who ran a gambling ring on the first floor. When the moment was right, she fled and crossed the natural border via the Sai River into Thailand.

The Russian woman’s passport records trips to China, the Republic of Korea, and Myanmar in recent years. The Thai authorities have not yet conducted any official investigative procedures with her due to her psychological state. After the treatment and necessary checks are completed, she will be handed over to the Russian embassy in Bangkok.

According to a TASS correspondent, the Thai police said that the kingdom considers Maria to be a victim of human trafficking, and will not prosecute her for violating immigration laws when crossing the border. Ilya Ilyin, head of the consular department of the Russian embassy in Thailand, said the diplomatic mission will assist in returning Maria to her homeland.