Many structures believed to be intended for telecom scam operations are being built in Kyarinn Village, Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State, according to locals. The village is also the birthplace of commander Saw Chit Thu, who led a faction of the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) that later transformed into the Karen National Army (KNA).
Most of the buildings are multi-storey structures situated between northern Kyarinn Village and Maw Kho Kla Village, a local who requested anonymity told KIC.
“Construction started in late 2025. We don’t know the exact size of the entire area, but it’s on a large plot. It doesn’t look like they’re building hotels. People here think the buildings could be for Zhapian operations. There are quite a lot of them, and Chinese nationals are directing the construction work,” he said. Zhapian is a local term used to refer to telecom scam operations.
Before construction began, Chinese nationals purchased plots in the area from local villagers for just 1 to 2 million MMK, the source added. Footage captured by locals shows the construction site, including structures believed to be housing complexes, as well as asphalt roads being systematically laid.
Villagers reported that Myanmar-speaking Chinese individuals from the area often visit nearby villages to buy supplies. KNA troops guard the construction site, and outsiders are strictly barred from entering.
After a series of crackdowns on telecom scam operations in Myawaddy Township near the Thai border, operators of these criminal businesses and foreign scam workers have reportedly relocated to Kyarinn Village, a local woman who wished to remain anonymous said.
“A lot of people who left Shwe Kokko after the crackdowns started have moved here. Saw Chit Thu made sure they each have their own place to stay, so local villagers don’t really run into them. One of my uncles works outside the construction site as a night watchman. He earns 300,000 MMK a month plus a bag of rice. Some of the other elders do the same,” she told KIC. Shwe Kokko Town in Myawaddy Township was once infamous as a scam hub, and the junta later raided buildings there under pressure from the Chinese government.
Not only Shwe Kokko, but telecom scam operations in areas along the Thai-Myanmar border, such as KK Park and Minletpan, also faced targeted crackdowns in 2025, prompting many scammers to relocate to areas controlled by ethnic armed groups to continue their activities, reliable sources said.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced plans to work with Thai authorities to crack down on telecom scam operations along the Thai-Myanmar border, but observers noted that no effective actions have been carried out so far.
