GUANGZHOU/YANGON: China has formally indicted 21 core members of a notorious telecom fraud syndicate based in northern Myanmar, alleged to have orchestrated over 31,000 scams targeting Chinese citizens and defrauding them of more than RMB 10.6 billion(approximately ₹13,600 crore). The syndicate is also accused of running illegal casinos, operating drug labs, and even committing murders to enforce operations.
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Investigators determined that the gang, led by Bay Saw Chain, established 41 fortified compounds across Myanmar since 2015. Within these centres, hundreds of operatives executed telecom fraud and scam gambling schemes via SIM farms and VoIP ploys, particularly targeting elderly and rural Chinese populations. The syndicate employed torture and murder to control lower-tier members, resulting in at least six deaths.
In early 2024, under a joint China–Myanmar enforcement initiative, authorities arrested senior figures, including Bay Saw Chain and Bay Yin Chin. In total, 36 key suspects have been detained, and 57,000 Chinese nationals linked to the networks have also been apprehended.
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In China, a nationwide task force involving over 1,000 officers gathered victim testimony and financial records. Their work revealed the gang was responsible for an astonishing 31,000 telecom fraud cases and over 11 tonnes of narcotics production.
The unprecedented collaboration between Chinese and Myanmar authorities, including five joint raid missions, represents a significant escalation in regional anti-fraud campaigns. This operation follows an earlier crackdown that reportedly dismantled over 294,000 telecom fraud schemes and brought hundreds of networks to justice.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change