The leader of the Border Guard Force (BGF) in Myanmar, Saw Chit Thu, in an exclusive interview with Thailand's "The Reporters," discussed the crackdown on telecom fraud syndicates in Myawaddy.
He confirmed that the crackdown had indeed been initiated and mentioned that they are currently dealing with Chinese nationals involved. Those involved in the telecom fraud have been arrested and are scheduled to be deported back to China on February 20th, with the rest expected to be processed by the end of this month.
Regarding the leaders of the telecom fraud syndicate, he stated that 4 to 5 people have been arrested so far, and investigations will continue to expand to arrest more involved individuals.
Saw Chit Thu mentioned that the slow progress of the operation is due to the inability to immediately deport the arrested individuals back to their countries, as there are numerous issues involved. Currently, a maximum of 250 people can be deported per day, hence the subsequent tasks are challenging, including managing personnel, food supply, and transportation. Additionally, transportation requires fuel, which is currently in short supply as the fuel supply has been cut off.
When talking about the repatriation of victims to Thailand, Saw Chit Thu noted that the repatriation process involves dividing the people into two groups: one group consists of those who entered from Thailand with a Thai visa, who will be repatriated through Thai channels; the other group consists of a smaller number of people from Yangon, who will be handled according to Myanmar's relevant procedures.
The repatriation process is progressing slowly, for instance, 69 Indonesian citizens have been stranded for more than 10 days without further measures being taken. Additionally, there are victims from Cambodia, Vietnam, and several African countries, but the majority are Chinese nationals. Therefore, he hopes that the Thai government can coordinate quickly to accelerate the process of countries receiving their citizens, to allow the crackdown to continue progressing.
Saw Chit Thu mentioned that the public might be following this issue through the media and might be curious about the masterminds and organizers behind the telecom fraud. Some key figures have been arrested but have not been disclosed yet; plans are in place to release information by the end of this month, along with personnel screening and classification.
He also mentioned that some managerial staff involved in abuse and fraud have been captured, but higher-level masterminds have yet to be caught. He stated that there are multiple companies in the valley, and he has ordered relevant departments to investigate, including inspections of the KK Park area.
Saw Chit Thu noted that other industries are operating in the valley, including casinos and online businesses. Additionally, there are about 700 shops and construction workers in the area.
Saw Chit Thu emphasized that compared to the overall development he is promoting, what has been completed is still a small part. He pointed out that just last year, he built more than 20 schools, as well as temples, 9 villages, and 9 pagodas. He stressed that he keeps detailed records of all construction projects to prove that these works have indeed been implemented.
In response to the opposition digging up a "blacklist" and exposing a photo of him with She Zhi Jiang, Saw Chit Thu responded that he has been stationed in the border area for a long time, bordering several counties, and the locals, including those from Thailand, are well aware of his character and know the beneficial things he has done for the people. Many Karen people from different states also work here. Therefore, he stated that no matter what the outside world says, he does not care.
