Free to Read: After Actor’s Kidnapping, Beijing and Bangkok Do More to Battle Scam Gangs

Thai authorities issue arrest warrants and cut off power to parts of Myanmar known to host traffickers

Saw Chit Thu, leader of Karen Border Guard Force, the armed militia that controls Myawaddy.

Following a high-profile case in which a Chinese actor was trafficked to a telecom scam center in Myanmar after being lured to Thailand under the pretext of filming, Beijing and Bangkok have ramped up their efforts to tackle transnational crime.

On Tuesday, the Thai Department of Special Investigation (DSI) announced it would seek arrest warrants for several key figures in the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), a militia that controls Myawaddy, a Myanmar city near the Thai border that’s known to be home to organized fraud gangs.

The warrants will target BGF leader Saw Chit Thu and two other high-ranking officers on charges of transnational human trafficking. The DSI said the case is related to seven Indian nationals recently rescued by Thai authorities from a scam call center in Myawaddy, according to Thai media reports.

Thailand was used as a transit point for the trafficking of the Indian nationals, the DSI said, just as it did in the case involving Chinese actor Wang Xing. Wang was tricked into travelling to Thailand in early January by promises of acting work and was then kidnapped and taken to Myawaddy. The Thai authorities helped to rescue Wang, who returned to China on Jan. 11.

A week later, China’s Ministry of Public Security announced that it had worked with the Thai authorities to dismantle a major trafficking network in Myawaddy and arrest 12 suspects.

However, the incident has prompted some Chinese tourists to reconsider trips to Thailand. This could pose a headache for Bangkok, as millions of Chinese visitors head to the country annually, contributing a major chunk of the country’s tourism revenue.

On Feb. 5, Thai authorities cut off electricity to parts of Myanmar where telecom fraud centers are thought to operate.

On the following day, the BGF reportedly handed over 61 individuals believed to be victims of telecom fraud and human trafficking in Myawaddy to Thai authorities. Among them, 39 are Chinese nationals and 13 are Indians, according to Thai media reports.

“Nationals from across the world continue to be held” in Myawaddy and its surrounding areas, according to a recent report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

During an official visit to Beijing last week, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed willingness to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with China and pledged to “take resolute and effective measures to crack down on cross-border crimes including online gambling and telecom fraud,” according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.

In a joint statement issued on Feb. 8, the two countries agreed to step up cooperation in combatting cross-border crimes, adopting a “zero tolerance” stance over activities such as human and drug trafficking, cybercrimes, illegal online gambling and money laundering.