In the joint crackdown on telecom fraud by Thailand, China, and Myanmar, especially after the visit of Liu Zhongyi, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Public Security of China, to the Mae Sot border in Tak Province, Thailand, these Chinese grey capital businessmen and their telecom fraud networks began to evacuate from Laojie and Myawaddy in Myanmar. They are aware of the fate they would face if arrested and deported back to China, hence they moved their fraud bases to Phaya Tong Su in Myanmar, bordering the northern province of Tak, Thailand.
In the past, the road from Myawaddy to Phaya Tong Su took 11 hours. After the completion of the A2 highway, it has become the main road connecting Phaya Tong Su to Myawaddy, reducing the travel time to just 4 hours. Although Colonel Ehvan, a commander of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), had announced the expulsion of more than 7,000 Chinese grey capital personnel from the area, local residents revealed that while some were deported, new individuals were continuously brought in.
According to the data, there are currently 20,000 Chinese who have fled from Myawaddy to Phaya Tong Su. Those wishing to enter the area must pay Colonel Ehvan a road fee of 100,000 Thai Baht per person, and many Chinese, including grey capital gangs, as well as businessmen running restaurants and entertainment venues, rent places here.
Some buildings that once served as casinos are now tightly closed, guarded by armed DKBA soldiers. According to sources, these buildings have been converted by the Chinese grey capital into telecom fraud bases, with about 300 people of Chinese and other nationalities being forced to engage in fraud activities there. They are usually dressed only in shorts, shirtless, and with shaved heads. If anyone tries to escape, they will be beaten by the "boss" and even electrocuted. Moreover, all Chinese "bosses" carry handguns, and if they find anyone trying to escape, they will shoot immediately.
Furthermore, the Chinese grey capital businessmen also maintain high vigilance for their own safety. They hire DKBA soldiers as personal bodyguards, paying them a monthly salary of 8,000 Thai Baht, plus meals. Therefore, DKBA soldiers are willing to protect these Chinese grey capital businessmen, as the monthly salary of DKBA soldiers is only 1,500 Thai Baht.
The DKBA soldiers guarding the site do not stay at the same location for long; they rotate every month to prevent the establishment of power or assisting trapped fraud victims in escaping. The Chinese "bosses" usually leave the building only in the evening, and for a very short time, quickly returning after buying food and necessities. Their vehicles are loaded with weapons, including AK rifles or NATO-standard firearms brought from Rakhine State.
It has been reported that the Chinese government had requested the arrest of 10 Chinese grey capital gang leaders hidden in Myanmar's Shuigu Valley by February 28, and their deportation back to China, but there has been no progress so far. Investigations have found that 9 of these 10 Chinese grey capital gang leaders have escaped to Phaya Tong Su, where Colonel Ehvan has sold them land worth hundreds of millions of Thai Baht. Therefore, the likelihood of deporting these Chinese grey capital gang leaders back to China is minimal. Once the new telecom fraud base is completed and operational, the Chinese grey capital gangs will continue to stay in the area.
The Chinese in Phaya Tong Su who are in the catering and trade business serve only their compatriots. One of the wanted Chinese grey capital gang leaders married a local 19-year-old woman who speaks Chinese as his wife and used her as a nominal owner to control the land in Karen State governed by Colonel Ehvan. Additionally, Colonel Ehvan also sells land to the Chinese in blocks, each priced at 3.5 million Thai Baht, located in Zeenapin, the new telecom fraud base, at the junction of Tambuseiya, Ja Insek Ji, and Phaya Tong Su.
The new telecom fraud base in Zeenapin, 15 kilometers from Phaya Tong Su, is under construction, enclosed by brick walls along the left side of the A2 highway, covering more than 250 rai. The terrain is lower than the road level, valley-shaped, extending to the long mountain ridge, with nearby water source "Tami River". The land opposite the new telecom fraud base has been leveled, expected to be used for building a residential area to accommodate the Chinese grey capital personnel moving from Shuigu Valley and Phaya Tong Su. According to sources, Colonel Ehvan has purchased large generators from Myanmar and installed them, waiting for the end of the Thailand-China-Myanmar telecom fraud crackdown operation, after which the fraud gangs will move to this site.
A field visit revealed that the new telecom fraud base on the left side has a gas station and a large dining area, but the facilities are already showing signs of age. Locals revealed that this area belongs to Colonel Ehvan and has been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the right side of the road, there is a large cassava processing factory. Less than a kilometer away, there is an entrance, said to be a base of the DKBA armed forces, surrounded by mountains, with excavators in operation. Further ahead are a hospital and a football field, the hospital being a single-story building, reportedly with 15 beds.
Another building is a cemented space with a roof, guarded by about 10 armed DKBA soldiers. About 2 kilometers from the hospital, there is a road sign pointing to "Kring Tor Waterfall", where many Myanmar tourists stop to take photos, and another sign pointing to "Tee Lor Su Waterfall" in Tak Province, Thailand.
Along the journey, one can see pickup trucks, trucks, transport vehicles, and patrol vehicles of DKBA and the Karen National Union (KNU) coming and going. According to various sources, Colonel Ehvan's daily income is as high as 1 million Thai Baht, coming from "toll fees" and passage fees from agricultural transport vehicles.
In the past, tank trucks, regardless of whether entering or leaving, had to pay 3,000 Thai Baht per vehicle when passing this road, from which the annual income is estimated to exceed 1 billion Thai Baht. These revenues are managed by Colonel Ehvan: KNU gets 40%, the DKBA led by Colonel Ehvan gets 40%, and the Myanmar military gets 20%.
From the current situation in Phaya Tong Su, it is evident that the Chinese telecom fraud gangs have not ceased their activities, and despite facing immense pressure, they continue to expand their bases. Additionally, due to the proper distribution of benefits, whether the new telecom fraud base in Karen State can be completely eradicated remains a concern.
