10 individuals, including infamous war criminals, were sent back to China by Myanmar. They are being sought for their suspected involvement in operating fraudulent call centers online and over the phone, where numerous foreign citizens are held captive and coerced into carrying out scams.
The facilities, designed for individuals in China and abroad, have seen significant growth during the Covid-19 crisis. According to China, approximately 44,000 people have participated, including those who have been victimized by human trafficking.
On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy in Myanmar released the names of six individuals who were transferred to China’s ministry of public security from the Kokang self-administered zone. This group includes Bai Suocheng, a Chinese leader of one of the four families that have held power in the north-east region of Myanmar for a significant amount of time.
In December, Chinese officials issued warrants and rewards ranging from 100,000 yuan (£11,108) to 500,000 yuan for the arrest of Bai and nine other individuals accused of participating in the fraudulent operations.
In 2021, there was a military overthrow in Myanmar that resulted in a civil conflict. This has allowed armed factions and criminal organizations to gain power in certain areas of the nation. Approximately 44,000 individuals are believed to have participated in the fraudulent activities, including thousands who were trafficked and nearly 3,000 wanted fugitives from China.
Beijing has continuously urged Naypyidaw to take action against the fraudulent centers, but with minimal success. Myanmar’s military leader, Gen Min Aung Hlaing, has been backing the Chinese criminal organizations, causing tension in the relationship with Beijing.
During October, a coalition of ethnic militant groups initiated a significant attack, called Operation 1027, with the goal of eliminating telecom fraudsters and overthrowing the ruling military regime. Some experts believe that this was done in order to gain support from China.
The statement released by the Chinese embassy on Tuesday commended the significant achievement in the collaboration between China and Myanmar in international law enforcement matters.
Chinese media published photographs and videos of the suspects on their chartered flight to Kunming, the capital of China’s south-west Yunnan province, where they were escorted on to the asphalt by dozens of Swat officers. The suspects had their hands tied behind their backs and wore large white placards stating their names in English.
China’s officials reported that Myanmar transferred 31,000 individuals suspected of telecommunications fraud to them between September and November of the previous year.
Source: theguardian.com
