Scam leaders wanted by US and China believed to be in Thit Ka Tay Village, controlled by BGF and KNA
360
Phyo (NP News)-Jan 5
The leaders of the online scam, who are being sought by the U.S. and China, are reportedly in Thit Ka Tay, a village controlled by the Kayin BGF, which has recently changed to the KNA (Karen National Army).
Some locals said that after the Myanmar military raided KK Park in Myawaddy in December last year and destroyed online fraud sites, the perpetrators moved to a new area controlled by Saw Tin Win, a BGF leader, in the eastern foothill of Dawna Mountain in Myawaddy.
A reliable source said on social media that there are also leaders of the online scam wanted by China in Thit Ka Tay village.
“In Thit Ka Tay, there is a former female Malaysian cabinet member who was involved in online scams and then disappeared. That woman is currently in Thit Ka Tay. More than 40 high-ranking Chinese figures involved with online scams, including senior leaders, are also in Thit Ka Tay. They are being held there. It is unclear whether Saw Tin Win is holding them or protecting them. Even the gold and valuables owned by these people are being stored there,” the above-mentioned source stated on social media.
Some Myawaddy locals say that facilities such as a hospital and a school have been opened in the village, and that several one-story buildings have been constructed within a few days.
“Thit Ka Tay is located 20 to 30 miles north of Myawaddy. On the eastern side of the Dawna mountain range. There are hospitals and schools there for local development. The school is open up to grade 12. Everything is free. It is provided for the local people. I heard that the schools are even closed these days,” said a local who knows the area.
Regarding the buildings being built in Thit Ka Tay village, another resident said, “The buildings are single-story. They are built quickly because they are made of steel frames and stone slabs. Many buildings have been built in just a few days.”
After the Tatmadaw dismantled the BGF-owned casinos and online scam grounds outside Myawaddy, Myawaddy is no longer crowded, but there is now a bustling atmosphere on the side of Thit Ka Tay village.
The scammers in these areas of Myawaddy have reportedly moved out since early December and are now reportedly entering into the BGF-controlled area.
Security is currently tight in Thit Ka Tay village, and according to some locals, there are Chinese scam workers, as well as Myanmar and other nationalities.
"There may be other foreigners. We also know that security is tight in that area at the moment," a local said.
Amid international pressure to crack down on the online scam in Kayin State in Myanmar, the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) was renamed the Karen National Army (KNA) starting January 1, KNA spokesman Naing Maung Zaw told some media outlets.
Colonel Saw Chit Thu leads the BGF group that has been renamed KNA, though some Border Guard Forces will not participate.
Saw Chit Thu, who mainly controls the BGF or KNA, was sanctioned by the US government in May 2025 for online fraud, cross-border human trafficking, and other activities.
Similarly, in early November 2025, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on the four top leaders of the DKBA group: Saw Steel, Saw Sein Win, Saw San Aung, and Sai Kyaw Hla.
In addition to sanctions, measures were implemented to combat online scam operations.
Following this announcement, it was further declared that a special anti-scam unit called the Scam Centre Strike Force would be formed to combat scams in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar.
In addition, the Chinese government, which is conducting anti-scam operations in northern Shan State under bilateral agreements, has also announced bounties and issued arrest warrants for more than 100 top scam leaders who are on the run.
China has issued arrest warrants for 100 people, including the main fugitives from four major criminal families in northern Myanmar, in connection with online fraud, and will reward those who provide reliable information and help in their arrest, Xinhua news agency reported.
While the international community is cracking down on online fraud in Southeast Asia, it is understood that the BGF continues to operate unabated in Thit Ka Tay village, under their control.
The actions of BGF are questionable at a time when the US is establishing a Scam Center Strike Force to combat online fraud, the Myanmar government is cracking down on online scams, and China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam are working together to crack down on those scams.
Furthermore, the fact that the crackdown on online scams in Cambodia has resulted in the relocation of scammers to southern Myanmar has also drawn criticism and international attention.