In recent years, despite the Chinese side and the governments of Southeast Asian countries have strengthened the crackdown on cross-border telecommunications fraud, successfully repatriating tens of thousands of fraudsters, this transnational crime industry still stubbornly exists and has not been completely eradicated.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the leadership of the fraud organizations often can obtain advance knowledge of law enforcement actions, allowing them to evacuate before the raids and avoid risks.
After contacting an operating fraud team, BBC learned that the team had evacuated from Myawaddy and Shwegyin in Myanmar and shifted their operations to Dubai and Cambodia to continue their activities. This reflects the high mobility and adaptability of the fraud groups, enabling them to quickly adjust strategies to evade law enforcement crackdowns.
Similar cross-border fraud activities are still ongoing at the China-Myanmar border, the Myanmar-Thailand border, and other ASEAN countries. Despite repeated crackdown measures by various governments, these criminal activities still stubbornly persist. According to reports, areas in northern Shan State, Wa State, Mong La, Muse, Dangyang, and Myawaddy and Shwegyin in Kayin State of Myanmar, are home to telecommunications fraud parks sheltered by local armed groups or militias. These parks provide sanctuaries for fraud groups, allowing them to continue their operations.
Moreover, the scope of activities of fraud groups has expanded to other Southeast Asian countries. For example, places like Sihanoukville in Cambodia have also become new strongholds for telecommunications fraud. The relatively lax law enforcement environment in these areas provides new sanctuaries for fraud groups.
Facing this complex transnational crime situation, governments need to strengthen intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation, cut off the funding channels and personnel movement of fraud groups, and fundamentally curb the spread of telecommunications fraud.
