The Border Guard Force (BGF) announced it will take action against online financial fraud operations in Shwe Kokko, a new city on the Thai-Myanmar border in Kayin State.
BGF spokesperson Naing Maung Zaw said the BGF, in coordination with military junta forces, will dismantle online fraud operations throughout Shwe Kokko and along the Thai-Myanmar border.
“We will handle it, but we cannot say exactly when. We have to be careful in carrying out the operation. Together with the government, we will resolve the ongoing issues,” Naing Maung Zaw told IMNA.
He added that between 1,000 and 2,000 people are involved in online financial scams in Shwe Kokko and that they will be selectively targeted and cleared.
Naing Maung Zaw explained, “Shwe Kokko was originally invited to attract foreign investment for development. But we later discovered that foreigners were exploiting advanced technology to carry out scams globally. So now, alongside our neighboring countries and our government, we are combining Plan B and Plan C to fully resolve this issue. We will completely eliminate it within days. There will be no further delay.”
On November 15, military leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, during a trip to Hpa-An, declared that addressing online scam issues is a national responsibility and promised action.
Additionally, on November 14th, at a minister-level meeting in Kunming attended by China and six ASEAN countries, there was a consensus to take action against online fraud.
The U.S. government also formed a task force to suppress online scam activities, after which the BGF publicly announced that it would decisively eliminate online financial fraud operations.
However, during meetings with international reporters, BGF officials emphasized that the current crackdown is being carried out independently, without international pressure.
