The Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta'ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA) in northern Shan State, Myanmar, recently collaborated with Chinese authorities to extradite 12 Chinese suspects involved in telecommunications fraud. The handover ceremony took place near the China-Myanmar border at a designated location, and the Chinese authorities have since legally escorted the suspects back to China for further investigation and processing.
According to information released by the Ta'ang military, these 12 individuals are from areas in northern Myanmar where telecom fraud activities are concentrated: four from Namkham, five from Kyegu, and three from Namtu. Previously, the Ta'ang army controlled these illegally staying Chinese citizens suspected of fraud during a local crackdown on illegal online crimes and verified their identities.
In recent years, cooperation between China and Myanmar in combating cross-border telecom fraud has deepened continuously. As one of the significant ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army has assisted Chinese law enforcement agencies in repatriation operations multiple times, effectively curbing the spread of telecom fraud in the region. This transfer further demonstrates the collaborative achievements of both parties in anti-fraud and stability maintenance.
Northern Myanmar has long been a hotspot for cross-border telecom fraud activities, where criminals often lure Chinese citizens abroad to engage in fraud through fake recruitment and other means, not only severely endangering the victims' financial security but also posing challenges to the security situation in the border areas. Chinese public security authorities have repeatedly stated their unwavering commitment to intensifying cross-border crackdown efforts, continuously cooperating with the Myanmar side and local armed groups to completely sever the telecom fraud profit chain.
According to incomplete statistics, since 2023, various local armed groups in northern Myanmar have cumulatively extradited over 20,000 Chinese nationals involved in fraud to China. Chinese law enforcement agencies reiterate that any Chinese citizens engaging in illegal activities abroad will face severe legal penalties, and no matter where they flee, they will eventually be held accountable.
