China repatriates 952 telecom fraud suspects from Myanmar's Myawaddy region

The Ministry of Public Security announced on Thursday that 952 Chinese telecom fraud suspects were repatriated to China from Myanmar's Myawaddy region, as law enforcement authorities from China, Myanmar and Thailand have launched a new joint crackdown on cross-border gambling and telecom fraud.

The ministry noted that a ministerial-level coordination mechanism for combating transnational telecom fraud was established among the three countries earlier this year, paving the way for a series of coordinated raids. Since October, Myanmar has carried out a new round of targeted operations in Myawaddy and its surroundings in line with prior tripartite agreements, focusing on apprehending suspects and dismantling illegal fraud and gambling compounds.

On Dec 15, a joint task force of police from the three nations conducted an on-site inspection of major fraud hubs in Myawaddy. The team assessed crackdown progress and mapped out follow-up measures covering further raids, joint control, and expedited suspect repatriation.

From Dec 16 to 19, the ministry coordinated public security bureaus in Jilin and Henan provinces to escort the apprehended suspects back to China.

According to the ministry, tripartite cooperation has led to the repatriation of over 7,600 Chinese nationals involved in online gambling and telecom fraud in Myawaddy since the start of this year.