BGF declares war on telecom scam gangs

The Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), a junta-aligned Karen armed group, has declared war on telecom scam businesses, locally known as Zhapian gangs, operating in Myawaddy Township in Karen State along the Thai-Myanmar border, including the notorious Shwe Kokko Town, the BGF said.

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Speaking to Thai media on November 17, BGF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Naing Maung Zaw announced his group’s declaration of war on Zhapian businesses.

“The fight to eliminate Zhapian will be carried out under the management of the national government (junta), and we will also take part. The war against the Zhapian has just begun,” he said.

He added that the buildings previously used for Zhapian operations will not be demolished; instead, he assured they would be systematically repurposed for the resettlement of homeless people and regional development projects.

“We will fight Zhapian until we are certain it is completely eradicated. Zhapian must be wiped out within days. This time, it has to be eliminated entirely. For the sake of the reputation of our country, our state, our ethnicity, our organization, and our leader, it is time for us to decisively uproot Zhapian,” Colonel Naing Maung Zaw said.

He also invited neighboring countries and other nations to join the BGF’s efforts to crack down on telecom scams along the Thai-Myanmar border.

The BGF launched anti-Zhapian operations in Shwe Kokko, a major Zhapian hotspot in Myawaddy Township, in March. Although there have been allegations of links between Zhapian rings and the BGF, the group has denied involvement, stating that it is merely leasing land and not engaged in criminal activities.

The BGF also told Thai media that around 2,000 people returned to Shwe Kokko and nearby areas to continue participating in Zhapian businesses after the operations.

According to the BGF, a total of 9,075 foreign Zhapian operatives have been handed over to their home countries since March, with another 1,267 still awaiting repatriation.

Lieutenant Colonel Naing Maung Zaw also urged the home countries to promptly repatriate the Zhapian workers who are still awaiting return.