Myanmar’s regime claims to have arrested 295 Chinese online scam suspects in Tachilek on the Thai border in eastern Shan State.
The regime said 288 Chinese men and seven women were arrested on Friday with 900 phones and other materials used for online fraud.
The regime said it would investigate the Chinese citizens. It has reportedly transferred nearly 5,000 Chinese suspects involved in online fraud, gambling, and drug smuggling over the past year.
Beijing has pushed the junta since 2022 to crack down on the scam syndicates operating along its border. It did not receive a strong response from the regime and those handed over were described as low-level criminals.
Analysts believe the junta’s weak response infuriated China, which gave the green light to the Brotherhood Alliance to launch Operation 1027 last October in northern Shan State.
When the Chinese authorities issued arrest warrants for online scam bosses in Kokang along its border, the regime eventually handed them over to China.
Operation 1027 broke up the Kokang syndicates with numerous alleged bosses sent to Beijing. Online scam operations have since moved to the Thai border but the regime claimed it was cooperating with China to crack down in Tachilek.
In February, the commander of the junta’s Triangle Region Command led a raid in Tachilek, arresting hundreds of suspects, including citizens of Thailand, Myanmar and China.
The junta’s home affairs minister Yar Pyae was given the Golden Great Wall Commemorative Medal in late April in Beijing by China’s Public Security Ministry. It is awarded to foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to Chinese safety.
China said it invested 5 million yuan (about US$690,000) in the junta’s police force during Yar Pyae’s visit. He discussed eradicating online scams and human trafficking in Myanmar.
On May 25, Chinese ambassador Chen Hai visited Tachilek to discuss cross-border crime, online scams and gambling.
