200 fraud suspects repatriated from Myanmar to China

A group of 200 Chinese citizens suspected of involvement in fraud returned to China under the escort of Chinese police on Thursday after being repatriated from Myawaddy in Myanmar.

The suspects were first sent to Thailand's Mae Sot, which shares a border with Myawaddy, on Thursday, before being flown back to China on several chartered flights. They arrived at an airport in Nanjing, the capital of eastern Jiangsu Province.

The 200 Chinese citizens are the first group of telecom fraud suspects repatriated from Myanmar to China, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

It added that more than 800 other Chinese fraud suspects are expected to be repatriated in the coming period.

The repatriation of these suspects marks a significant achievement of law enforcement cooperation between China, Myanmar and Thailand against telecom fraud, the ministry said.

According to the ministry, law enforcement authorities from the three countries recently launched a joint operation against telecom fraud in Myawaddy.

In coordination with this effort, Thailand has cut off electricity, Internet and fuel supplies to Myawaddy, and strengthened patrols to prevent illegal border crossings by individuals involved in fraud.

Myanmar has deployed forces to raid telecom fraud compounds in Myawaddy, arrested fraud suspects, and rescued Chinese nationals trapped in scam operations.

An official with the ministry said the three countries would institutionalize joint operations to combat telecom fraud and other transnational crimes on a regular basis. The ministry also vowed to continue to dismantle telecom fraud compounds and effectively safeguard the lives and property of Chinese citizens.

Over recent years, Chinese authorities have made coordinated efforts to fight these rampant crimes.

Last month, law enforcement authorities of China, Myanmar and Thailand reached a consensus to further strengthen trilateral law enforcement cooperation, establish a joint anti-crime mechanism, and jointly tackling wire and cyber fraud, human trafficking and other cross-border crimes.

"Fighting online gambling and telecom fraud is a must choice to safeguard the common interests of China and other regional countries, and is what people of all countries want," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun at a daily news briefing on Thursday.

Resolutely cracking down on crimes of online gambling and telecom fraud also demonstrates the countries' commitment to the people-centered development philosophy, said Guo.

Earlier this month, a Chinese court in Zhejiang Province tried 23 defendants including key members of several major telecom fraud groups based in northern Myanmar. They were charged with 11 counts of criminal offences including fraud, intentional homicide, intentional injury, illegal detention, operating casinos, drug trafficking, and organizing prostitution.

A prior official statement emphasized that the handling of the case reflects China's dedication to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the nation and its citizens.

According to the Supreme People's Procuratorate, between January and November 2024, China's procuratorial authorities nationwide charged over 67,000 individuals with telecom and online fraud, up 58.5 percent year-on-year.

Since the launch of a special campaign in July 2023, police have apprehended over 53,000 Chinese suspects involved in telecom and Internet fraud operating from northern Myanmar.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Benedikt Hofmann, acting regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, noted that telecom fraud has expanded rapidly in terms of the number of victims, geographical reach, and financial losses. The UNODC estimates that annual economic losses from such scams in East and Southeast Asia range between 20 billion and 40 billion US dollars.

Noting the recent cooperation between China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including Thailand and Myanmar, Hofmann said this has created "a significant sense of momentum" for international efforts to tackle the issue.

China has provided crucial support to other countries in combating both drug-related crimes and telecom fraud schemes, Hofmann said, suggesting that China's approach to tackling telecom fraud, including active prevention measures, could provide invaluable experience for other countries.