China and Myanmar’s joint law enforcement efforts have dismantled all major telecom fraud centers in northern Myanmar, Chinese state media reported on Thursday.Â
This follows a large-scale raid over the weekend that resulted in the arrest of 1,079 individuals, including 763 Chinese nationals.
China has been running an anti-telecom fraud campaign since 2023, targeting criminal networks that prey on Chinese citizens from Myanmar’s border areas. These operations have led to the arrest of over 53,000 Chinese nationals suspected of fraud, according to China’s Ministry of Public Security.
The recent raid was supported by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), an ethnic armed group in Myanmar. The UWSA arrested more than 1,000 individuals within its territory, transferring 762 Chinese suspects to Chinese authorities. Approximately 300 Myanmar nationals detained in the operation are currently under investigation and expected to be released following questioning, said UWSA spokesperson Nyi Rang.
The rise of telecom fraud in Myanmar’s borderlands, fueled by trafficked laborers from China and other countries, has drawn repeated warnings from Beijing. Analysts estimate the industry generates billions of dollars annually. In 2023 alone, more than 40,000 cyber scam suspects were handed over to China by Myanmar authorities.
