(Dan Tri) - Myanmar opposition forces demand that online fraud and human trafficking groups operated by Chinese people on the border with Thailand leave.
Thai police arrest a suspect smuggling diesel across the Myanmar border (Photo: Bangkok Post).
The DKBA group, an opposition force to Myanmar's military government, has issued an ultimatum to Chinese nationals running scam dens and other illegal businesses.
The DKBA has asked the scammers to leave all areas of Phayathonezu town, Kayin state, which borders Thailand, before the end of February, an area under DKBA control.
Meanwhile, Thai authorities have stepped up a crackdown on fuel smuggling into Myanmar, as criminal gangs seek to circumvent a ban on electricity, gasoline and diesel supplies from Thailand.
DKBA has asked Chinese nationals who are operating illegal online gambling sites, casinos, restaurants or other illegal commercial activities to leave Phayathonezu town. Anyone who fails to comply with this warning will face legal consequences.
The DKBA will also increase patrols and take other measures to prevent Chinese from entering areas under its control, according to official Saw A Wan.
The warning came shortly after the DKBA issued a statement informing the public that it would take action to assist, after Thailand cut off electricity, fuel and internet signals to Phayathonezu and four other Myanmar border locations last week.
The rebel group stressed the importance of building trust with the Thai government, in the hope that Bangkok will restore power and continue fuel supplies.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked and forced by criminal gangs to work in scam centers and illegal online operations across Southeast Asia, including along the Thai-Myanmar border, according to the United Nations. Myanmar is considered a hotbed of scams as the country has been embroiled in conflict between the military and opposition forces for several years.
A 2023 United Nations report estimated that fraud is growing rapidly and generating billions of dollars each year.
To deal with the scammers, Thailand has cut off electricity and internet in five border areas of Myanmar, locations known to be hubs for online scams and human trafficking.
The Thai government also ordered an end to the supply of fuel and other logistical services such as SIM cards, satellite antennas and cables used by scam syndicates to attack victims globally.
Phayathonezu is located opposite the Three Pagodas Pass, Sangkhla Buri District, Kanchanaburi Province. The town and surrounding areas are under the influence of the DKBA.
A power and fuel ban entered its sixth day on February 10, affecting parts of Myanmar and plunging towns into darkness. But buildings near the Thai border that house online scam syndicates remained lit thanks to their own generators.
Sangkhla Buri police station chief Colonel Paithoon Sriwilai said a man identified as Samrit was arrested over the weekend while trying to smuggle 290 litres of diesel into Phayathonezu.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/luc-luong-doi-lap-myanmar-ra-toi-hau-thu-cho-nhom-lua-dao-trung-quoc-20250211145146388.htm
Comment (0)