According to a statement released by the Shan State Progress Party/Northern Shan Army (SSPP/SSA), the armed group recently captured a criminal gang suspected of engaging in telecommunications fraud in a jungle hideout in the southern Shan State town of Mong Hsu (ရှမ်းပြည်နယ် (တောင်ပိုင်း) မိုင်းရှူးမြို့နယ်), seizing a large amount of electronic equipment used for the crimes, including computers, iPads, and mobile phones.
The report indicates that the SSPP/SSA forces launched a raid on a secretive base in Mang Kiao village group, Mong Hsu Township (မိုင်းရှူးမြို့နယ် မန်ကျောင်းကျေးရွာအုပ်စု), successfully detaining several suspects of telecom fraud. Some of the detainees are Chinese nationals, though the exact number has not been disclosed. SSPP/SSA stated that these foreign nationals would be deported back to their country for processing according to relevant procedures.
SSPP/SSA reiterated that the armed organization adopts a "zero tolerance" policy towards telecommunications fraud within its jurisdiction. A ban was issued on May 13, 2024, explicitly prohibiting officials, government personnel, and local residents from participating in or assisting with telecom fraud activities. Any violations discovered would be decisively combated.
It is understood that this is not the first time SSPP/SSA has targeted telecom fraud. Previously, on November 23, 2023, the armed group captured 88 Chinese nationals suspected of telecom fraud in the northern Shan State town of Namkham and swiftly deported them back to their country. This action once again demonstrates their firm resolve to combat cross-border fraud.
