A Japanese citizen wanted in his home country for cyber fraud is in custody in Karen State’s Myawaddy Township, the Karen Border Guard Force said Friday.
Under growing international pressure, the junta-aligned Karen BGF rounded up some 7,000 foreigners from 30 countries at scam centers in Myawaddy on the Thai border last month.
The Japanese citizen was housed together with others in a processing facility in Myawaddy town until the Japanese Embassy in Yangon contacted the militia and said he was a fugitive. He has since been held in the scam center hub of Shwe Kokko, Karen BGF spokesman Naing Maung Zaw told The Irrawaddy.
“We have held no one in captivity except the important [suspects],” the spokesman said. “The Japanese Embassy made some requests to us. As it is an important matter, we have kept him securely.”
He said the militia were only told that the Japanese man was wanted “for important matters.”
The fugitive was brought to Myawaddy by a Chinese man but came voluntarily.
“According to our investigation, he went from Japan to Shanghai, and then to Dubai where he stayed for four months,” the spoksman said. “He lost his passport in Dubai and applied for a new one.”
He then flew to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from, from where his Chinese friend took him to Mae Sot by car. “He said his passport was checked in three locations on the way. When we asked if someone in uniform took him from Mae Sot to Myawaddy, he said no, so it’s clear that he’s not a trafficking victim,” Naing Maung Zaw said.
The 36-year-old comes from Hokkaido and only arrived in Myawaddy a month ago. He was found at a company in Shwe Kokko.
Some Japanese news agencies reported that the man was working with Chinese scam syndicates targeting Japanese citizens.
Naing Maung Zaw said the Thai and Japanese governments have not yet told the militia when they will take him over.
