China, Myanmar, and Thailand have pledged to strengthen cooperation to dismantle criminal networks operating scam compounds in Southeast Asia, particularly in Myawaddy, a hotspot for fraudulent activity.
China’s Ministry of Public Security announced the agreement following a recent trilateral ministerial meeting focused on intensifying joint crackdowns on telecom fraud. Law enforcement agencies from all three countries attended the high-level meeting and committed to arresting all suspects and eradicating scam operations in Myawaddy and other known fraud hubs. According to the Public Security Ministry of China, 5,400 Chinese nationalssuspected of involvement in fraud rings in Myawaddy have been repatriated to China for investigation and prosecution.
China has previously joined forces with Southeast Asian countries to combat telecom fraud. In 2024, over 53,000 suspects were arrested in joint operations between Chinese and Myanmar police in major scam compounds along the China-Myanmar border in northern Myanmar. In the same year, China also secured the repatriation of 268 suspects involved in cross-border telecom fraud with the help of authorities in Laos.
China is also urging countries like Cambodia and Vietnam to join its efforts in fighting online gambling and telecom scams that often go hand-in-hand. Fighting online gambling and telecom fraud is a necessary choice to safeguard the common interests of China and other regional countries, explained Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun.
Benedikt Hofmann, Acting Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, described the trilateral cooperation as “encouraging,” noting that it has created momentum for deeper, long-term regional coordination.
