21 February 2025
The government, in collaboration with international organizations including neighboring countries, is actively investigating and combating online telecom fraud and criminal enterprises with determination.
Foreign nationals involved in such activities are being systematically transferred to their respective countries.
As part of this process, 200 Chinese nationals who illegally entered Myanmar via border routes, resided in Shwe Kokko, and KK Park areas of the Myawady Township, Kayin State, and engaged in illegal online gambling, telecom fraud, and other criminal activities were handed over today to their home country through Thailand.
This transfer was conducted in an orderly manner, in accordance with legal procedures, with humanitarian considerations and the spirit of friendly interstate relations at the forefront.
The handover ceremony was attended by key Deputy Police Chief Police Major General Tin Ko Ko from the Myanmar Police Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs; Mr. Liu Ning Ning, Deputy Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department of the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Public Security; Mr. Narongchai Jindaphan, Deputy Governor of Tak Province, Thailand; and other relevant authorities. During the event, Myanmar officials handed over documentation related to the deportation and transfer process to representatives from the People’s Republic of China.
The Chinese nationals transferred today were subsequently transported to China via Mae Sot Airport in Thailand.
The process was overseen by Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister H.E. Mr. Phumtham Wechayachai, H.E. Mr. Liu Zhong Yi, Assistant Minister of the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Public Security, and Major General Aung Kyaw Kyaw, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and member of Myanmar’s Central Committee for the Supervision of Prompt Legal Action and Deportation of Illegal Foreign Nationals.
These officials ensured the operation proceeded smoothly, met with the media, and provided clarifications regarding the transfer process.
Following the handover, the Thai Deputy Prime Minister, the Assistant Minister of China’s Ministry of Public Security, and Myanmar’s Deputy Minister for Home Affairs met at Mae Sot International Airport.
They discussed the first successful transfer of 200 Chinese nationals in a short timeframe due to prior trilateral coordination, Thailand’s commitment to cooperating in facilitating the transfer of third-country nationals through coordination with relevant embassies, and the establishment of a trilateral operational framework, including plans for future meetings on these matters.
According to confessions from the transferred Chinese nationals, most initially arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, from China, and then proceeded to Mae Sot, a Thai-Myanmar border town. From there, agents involved in online telecom fraud operations illegally transported them across the Thaungyin River into Myanmar, directing them to work in online fraud and gambling operations in the Myawady-KK Park area.
The Shwe Kokko region, where some armed groups operate, faces significant challenges and limitations in maintaining the rule of law and administrative control. Opportunists exploit these conditions for personal gain, engaging in criminal activities such as online gambling.
It has been revealed that the basic resources for these online fraud operations were sourced through a neighboring country, with most investments originating from foreign organizations.
The Myanmar Government is actively working to identify, arrest, and take firm action against foreign nationals involved in online scam centers and those orchestrating such activities behind the scenes.
Additionally, efforts are underway to promptly deport foreign nationals facing hardships or victims of human trafficking to their respective countries, with proactive cooperation in these endeavors ongoing.
