Chinese Docuseries Hails Scam Victory as Myanmar Fraud Empire Rebuilds

A Beijing-sanctioned docuseries on Myanmar’s scam industry has hailed the extradition of fugitive tycoon She Zhijiang as the crowning achievement of China’s crackdown. Yet the telecom fraud empire he built in the border town of Myawaddy continues to thrive despite international pressure.

Once a bustling trade hub, Myawaddy is now among the most complicated combat landscapes in Myanmar, fought over by resistance forces, splinter factions, and regime‑aligned militias each tied to cross‑border commerce and illicit economies.

She Zhijiang is frogmarched out of Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station in Bangkok on November 12, 2025, for extradition to China. / AFP

The fraud industry’s origins trace back to 2016–2017, when She Zhijiang’s Yatai International Holdings struck a deal with warlord Saw Chit Thu, commander of the military-aligned Karen Border Guard Force (BGF). Marketed as a U$ 15‑billion “New City” project, Shwe Kokko was pitched as a blockchain hub but quickly morphed into casinos, call centers, and cyber‑fraud parks.