Arrests of Chinese nationals operating telecom scam (locally known as Zhapian) businesses have become increasingly common in Shan State, locals reported.
In early March, the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced plans to establish a branch office in Bangkok, Thailand, to collaborate with Thai authorities and regional partners in combating telecom scams.
Additionally, Kash Patel, director of the FBI, told a US Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on March 18 that the agency will, if necessary, enter and dismantle scam networks in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia that are defrauding American citizens of billions of dollars.
The junta said that, over the past week, it had arrested 135 Chinese nationals involved in telecom scam operations in northern and southern parts of Shan State, along with equipment used in their fraudulent activities.
“On March 20, authorities nabbed more than 80 Chinese Zhapian operators. They also carried out raids in Tawywat Ward over the past two days, but it remains unclear whether any arrests were made in those operations,” said a local from Muse Town, northern Shan State.
Similarly, a source close to local authorities told Shan Herald that on March 20 and 21, 49 Chinese nationals and a Vietnamese woman were arrested, along with related equipment, for running telecom scam operations near Kawngsang Village in Laihka Township.
“At the first raid, authorities only found Zhapian-related equipment and no one was arrested. But at the next two locations, they managed to nab around 50 people,” he said.
Then, the junta set fire to makeshift facilities used for telecom businesses about three miles from Kawngsang Village.
In Laihka Township, alongside the junta, various armed groups—including the Manpang Militia, Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), and Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA)—also maintain a presence.
“There are Zhapian rings even in junta-controlled areas. It’s unclear how the Chinese nationals got here, and some say the junta authorities themselves might be involved in these operations,” a 30-year-old woman from Muse said.
In late 2023, the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a coalition of three ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), launched 'Operation 1027' against the junta. One of the operation’s stated objectives was to eliminate illegal scam compounds, but these businesses have continued to persist.
There are also allegations that the junta’s current crackdown on telecom scam businesses is just for show, especially as the FBI has threatened to target countries hosting these operations.
Locals in Shan State suggested that various telecom scam businesses may have links to Chinese criminal organizations, certain EAOs, and even the junta.
