In a sweeping international crackdown, China has formally charged 21 top members of a criminal syndicate that operated large-scale scam centres in northern Myanmar, targeting unsuspecting Chinese citizens. These individuals are now facing a slew of charges, including telecom fraud, operating illegal casinos, drug trafficking, and even murder.
Authorities revealed that the gang, allegedly led by a man named Bay Saw Chain, ran at least 41 scam compounds near the Myanmar-China border. Investigations have linked the group to over 31,000 cases of online fraud and more than 10.6 billion yuan (approx. S$1.98 billion) in illicit gains. More disturbingly, their illegal operations reportedly led to the deaths of six Chinese nationals.
China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) confirmed that these compounds were also used for producing and trafficking over 11 tonnes of illegal drugs, signalling a dangerous intersection of cybercrime and the narcotics trade. The same compounds allegedly used violence, torture, and threats to control their lower-level operatives and coerce others into joining the scam underworld.
Syndicate Operated Like a State — With Armed Guards and Death Camps
The Bay criminal organisation didn’t just scam victims remotely; they ran a quasi-military operation with armed security guarding their bases and punishing anyone who disobeyed or failed to meet their “quotas”. Those lured into the compound under false job offers were often trapped, beaten, and forced to commit crimes against their will.
Victims were reportedly subjected to beatings and some were killed, while others were used to manipulate or blackmail their families. These centres operated like modern-day digital slavery camps, according to human rights observers.
Chinese police had to mobilise a nationwide task force, involving over 1,000 officers, to collect testimonies and evidence. Meanwhile, law enforcement teams were dispatched to northern Myanmar five times to work directly with local authorities in gathering intelligence.
Myanmar Hands Over Kingpins as Regional Pressure Mounts
In January 2024, in a rare act of cooperation under a bilateral security agreement, Myanmar handed over Bay Saw Chain and his brother Bay Yin Chin to Chinese officials. These arrests marked a turning point in dismantling one of the most powerful fraud cartels in Southeast Asia.
To date, 36 suspects have been brought into custody. The remaining are still under investigation as authorities comb through terabytes of digital evidence and hundreds of victim reports. Altogether, more than 57,000 suspects linked to scam syndicates across Asia have been detained as a result of a wider campaign to clean up the region’s cross-border cybercrime ecosystem.
What It Means for Singapore and the Region
While the operation mainly targeted Chinese nationals, the reach of such scam cartels extends into Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and beyond. Authorities in Singapore have already dealt with syndicate-style scams involving job lures, “love scams”, and crypto investment fraud, many of which trace back to call centres and compounds in Myanmar and Cambodia.
With the Myanmar conflict zones becoming safe havens for organised crime syndicates, the UN and ASEAN partners have called for tighter regulation and joint task forces to monitor telecom fraud, money laundering, and human trafficking rings operating across the Mekong region.
Singaporean experts say the lesson here is clear: cybercrime is now transnational, and more than ever, countries must work together to choke off the illegal flows of people, data, and drugs that fuel these billion-dollar networks.
Conclusion: The End of an Empire, or Just the Beginning?
While the Chinese authorities may have struck a major blow against one of Asia’s most powerful scam networks, experts warn that copycat operations are already emerging elsewhere. As long as conflict zones remain poorly governed and profits remain sky-high, organised crime will find new places to grow.
For now, the spotlight is on Bay Saw Chain’s empire — but it may take more than arrests to end the wider epidemic of digital scams and human exploitation in Asia.
Top Image Source: Xin Hua