Over 630 buildings in Myanmar's telecom fraud den demolished: China

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA)—China said on Monday that over 630 buildings in a major telecom fraud den in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been demolished, according to state-run Xinhua News.

China's Ministry of Public Security said that all suspects from Myawaddy have been repatriated to China, noting that the joint cleanup operation by Chinese, Myanmar and Thai law enforcement agencies in the area has achieved “phased results.”

In early 2025, China, Myanmar, and Thailand established a ministerial-level coordination mechanism to combat telecom and online fraud and have since conducted multiple rounds of coordinated law enforcement operations.

The ministry said that since the start of this year, 10 joint repatriation operations have been carried out, resulting in more than 1,500 criminal suspects being escorted back to China.

Myanmar’s Myawaddy region has long been home to numerous gambling and fraud syndicates that have engaged extensively in telecom and online fraud and other criminal activities, causing serious harm.

Chinese police will continue to deepen international cooperation, advance joint operations, dismantle criminal hubs, and intensify the pursuit of other suspects, the ministry added.

In early February, China executed at least 15 leading members of gangs based in northern Myanmar who were found guilty of committing multiple crimes, including intentional homicide, telecom fraud and drug trafficking.