Well known for being a hub for online scams near the border with China, Laukkaing is presently under the authority of a coalition of rebel groups in Myanmar.
On Thursday, the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which had conducted a surprise attack in Shan state, on the country's northern border, in late October, took over the city from the military administration of Myanmar.
The rebel organization claims that the military has given up control over the Kokang region, which is about the size of Lebanon.
Since the beginning of the campaign, the coalition has indicated its plans to deal with the organized scams that have emerged under the watch of militias loyal to the ruling junta.
The rebel groups' emphasis on the flourishing scam sector is probably an attempt to win over China, which has grown weary of seeing its citizens targeted into the compounds to conduct scams, or worse, targeted by so-called 'pig butchering scams.
Over last weekend, junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in Naypyidaw to discuss border security and organized crime.
As per a state media outlet China Daily, Wang Xiaohong, Minister of Public Security also attended a virtual meeting with Myanmar's Home Affairs Minister, Lt. Gen. Yar Pyae, where they both agreed to strengthen law enforcement to protect security and stability in border areas, especially by stepping up efforts to deal with online and telecom fraud.
According to a UN report from August 2023, around 120,000 individuals were coerced into scamming operations in Myanmar.
In most cases, pig butchering scams entail a con artist establishing a rapport with a victim via social media, dating services, or messaging apps.
On January 5, Chinese state media reported that 41,000 individuals implicated in telecom fraud in Myanmar were turned over to Chinese police in the previous year.
The number of people that were taken into custody who were trafficked is unknown.
Observers have cautioned that despite the crackdown in northern Myanmar, activities might easily move to criminal areas elsewhere in the nation, particularly near the borders with Thailand and Laos.
This Cyber News was published on www.cysecurity.news. Publication date: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 17:28:12 +0000