5,400 Chinese suspects involved in telecom fraud in Myanmar’s Myawaddy repatriated amid joint crackdown by China, Myanmar and Thailand
More than 5,400 Chinese suspects involved in telecom fraud in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been repatriated in a joint crackdown on cross-border telecom fraud launched by China, Myanmar, and Thailand since the beginning of 2025, China's Ministry of Public Security announced on Sunday.
During the second ministerial-level meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on Friday to coordinate efforts against telecom and online fraud, the three countries reached a series of agreements on deepening law enforcement cooperation.
They agreed to continue working together to intensify the crackdown on telecom and online fraud in areas such as Myawaddy, to carry out comprehensive dismantling all telecom scam compounds, to arrest all suspects involved in fraud, and to eradicate the breeding grounds of fraud-related crimes, thereby effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the people of all three countries.
The regular ministerial-level meeting held for the joint law enforcement cooperation against telecom and online frauds demonstrate the three countries' commitment to establishing a long-term mechanism to effectively combat cross-border telecom fraud, Peng Nian, director of the Hong Kong Research Center for Asian Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday.
According to Peng, the ministerial-level meeting was held to send a strong signal that the fight against cross-border telecom fraud will not derail due to domestic political changes. The three countries will continue their sustained efforts through this regular mechanism to combat telecom fraud and minimize the threat it poses to their societies.
Since the beginning of this year, the relevant authorities of China, Myanmar and Thailand have worked closely together and launched a fierce crackdown on telecom and online fraud in the Myawaddy region. More than 5,400 Chinese suspects involved in fraud have been apprehended and repatriated, the ministry said.
Last Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand announced that a Chinese national surnamed Zhong had been rescued after being lured to Myanmar and illegally detained.
Zhong, a male model from South China's Guangdong Province, received an offer on June 8 to appear on a magazine cover. He flew from Guangzhou to Thailand but went missing near the Thailand-Myanmar border on June 13, China National Radio (CNR) reported on Friday.
According to Peng, it is difficult to completely eradicate telecom fraud in these regions overnight. After the initial large-scale actions that have had a deterrent effect, a long-term approach is needed through a regular mechanism to gradually combat telecom fraud. Given the relatively weak administrative capacity in these areas, it is essential to engage with local governments to gradually eliminate the breeding grounds for cross-border fraud.