Myanmar’s regime has issued a warrant for the arrest of a casino owner wanted by the Thai government for online gambling and tax fraud.
A junta court in Kawthaung District issued the warrant on Wednesday for U Kyaw Lwin, a dual national of Myanmar and Thailand who owns the Grand Andaman Hotel on Thahtay Kyun Island in Kawthaung Township, Tanintharyi Region, and has a near monopoly over the fuel market in Kawthaung on the Thai border.
The resort and casino with exclusive rights to the 1,800-acre island at the southern tip of Myanmar were recently shut after the Thai authorities issued a warrant for U Kyaw Lwin, a well-known businessman in Kawthaung and the Thai coastal town of Ranong.
The arrest warrant followed a crackdown by Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on the “Kofuk” network, which allegedly laundered money from online gambling.
The Thai authorities have issued 18 warrants, including for citizens of Myanmar. U Kyaw Lwin is still at large but one of his assistants has reportedly been arrested.
DSI officers carried out 27 raids in Thailand, including U Kyaw Lwin’s Ranong house. He holds Thai citizenship under the name Sanga Kangval.
His five-star hotel near Ranong offers an array of gambling rooms, spas, karaoke lounges and beauty salons and employed more than 1,500 people before it shut.
U Kyaw Lwin has a near monopoly over the fuel market in Kawthaung Township, importing fuel from Ranong province. He established a coal-fired power plant to supply electricity to Kawthaung.
He has interests in rubber production, prawn breeding, pearl farming and fishing.
Under pressure from China, the regime carried out a crackdown on cybercrimes, including online gambling, in northern Shan State. Military commanders then flew to Naypyitaw to meet junta leader Min Aung Hlaing to stop online fraud syndicates from Shan State reforming on the Thai border in Karen State.
Thailand and Myanmar’s regime agreed to cooperate to combat online fraud syndicates at the border but unexpectedly U Kyaw Lwin was the first target.
