1,200 Chinese nationals arrested by Myanmar militia over alleged scam links amid rising cybercrime concerns in Asia
The United Wa State Army hands the suspects over to Chinese police at a gate bordering Myanmar and ChinaHundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asia have been forced to take part in scam operations, according to the United Nations human rights agencyMyanmarAssociated PressPublished: 10:17am, 10 Sep, 2023Why you can trust SCMP
The arrests were carried out in territory controlled by the United Wa State Army, or UWSA, in eastern Shan state in raids on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nyi Rang, a liaison officer from the militia, said on Saturday.
He said in a text message that the arrested people were handed over to Chinese police at the border gate in Panghsang – also known as Pangkham city – the capital of Wa-administered territory on the border with China’s Yunnan province. Cybercrime scams have become a major issue in Asia, as many of the workers employed to carry out the online scams are themselves victims of criminal gangs, who lure them with fake job offers and then force them to work in conditions of virtual slavery.
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The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a report last month that the gangs have forced hundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asia into taking part in scam operations that include false romance ploys, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes.