KAREN Border Guard Force (BGF) leader Saw Chit Thu has arrested two Chinese bosses of call-centre operations in Myawaddy township, just across the border from Mae Sot town, with the pair being among seven wanted by China, TV Channel 7 said late afternoon today (Feb. 19).
The Karen leader, who is himself being investigated by the Department of Special Investigation on charges of being an influential accomplice in the transnational call-centre scamming and human trafficking rackets, is quickly sending scam workers rescued from Shwe Kokko crime complex to Myawaddy immigration officials to screen and determine whether or not they are victims.
More scam workers are being gradually freed with 2,000 rescued yesterday and today. Most of them are Chinese who are being screened first so that they could be flown back home from Mae Sot international airport tomorrow (Feb. 20).
Saw Chit Thu said the two scam bosses his fighters arrested were being detained separately at the BGF security command centre in Myawaddy pending handover to Chinese authorities. The other five bosses for whom arrest warrants have been issued by China are being tracked down.
BGF units are still inspecting all the buildings in the infamous Shwe Kokko scam complex and after that will be moving to clear KK Park.
This followed Thailand cutting off electricity, Internet and fuel supplies from five points to three Myanmar border townships – Tachileik. Myawaddy and Payathonzue – on Feb. 5 to suppress scam gangs entrenched just across the border.
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Karen Border Guard Force leader Saw Chit Thu, left, and some rescued scam workers. Photo: TV Channel 7
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