It has been learned that ringleaders of cyber scam operations, who are being actively sought by China and the United States, are currently staying in Thit Ka Tay Village, an area controlled by the Border Guard Force (BGF), now rebranded as the Karen National Army (KNA).

According to some local residents, after the Myanmar military raided KK Park in Myawady beginning in December last year and dismantled online scam centers operating there, the scam syndicates relocated to Thit Ka Tay Model Village, an area under the control of Saw Tin Win, a BGF leader, located on the eastern foothills of the Dawna Mountain near Myawady.

Kyaw Myo Min from NP News stated via TikTok that ringleaders wanted by China for cyber scam crimes are also present in Thit Ka Tay Village.

“In Thit Ka Tay, under Saw Tin Win’s control, there is a former Malaysian female government official who went missing. She was involved in online scams and disappeared in connection with cyber fraud activities. She is now in Thit Ka Tay. There are also more than 40 senior Chinese figures, including top masterminds involved in cyber scams, being held there. It is unclear whether Saw Tin Win has detained them or is protecting them. Their assets, including gold bars, have also been seized,” Kyaw Myo Min said on social media.

Local residents said that hospitals, schools, and other facilitieshave been opened in Thit Ka Tay Village, and that several single-storey buildings have been constructed within a short period of time.

“Thit Ka Tay is located about 20 to 30 miles north of Myawady, on the eastern side of the Dawna foothills. They claim it is for regional development. There are hospitals and schools, and the school goes up to Grade 12. Everything is free for locals. But recently, we heard that even the schools have been closed,” said a resident familiar with the area.

Another local explained that construction has progressed rapidly:

“The buildings are single-storey structures made with steel frames and concrete panels, so construction is very fast. Many buildings appeared almost overnight.”

After the Myanmar military dismantled BGF-owned casinos and cyber scam hubs outside Myawady, the town itself has become quiet, while activity has shifted toward Thit Ka Tay Village, according to residents.

“Previously, areas like UK, 969, and 999 outside Myawady were extremely crowded. It was so busy that you had to wait a long time just to cross the road. Now there’s nothing left—only a few game shops. Back then, with scam centers and casinos operating, even motorbike taxi drivers could earn over 100,000 kyats a day, and food delivery workers were busy. Now there’s nothing. We heard they relocated—to Thit Ka Tay,” said a Myawaddy resident.

Residents said that scam operators began relocating as early as early December, moving into BGF-controlled territory, mostly by vehicle.

Security in Thit Ka Tay Village is now very tight, and the area reportedly hosts Chinese cyber scam operators, as well as Myanmar nationals and other foreign nationals.

“There may be people from other countries as well. For now, security there is very strict,” a local resident said.

Amid growing international pressure to crack down on cyber scams in southern Kayin State, KNA spokesperson Nai Maung Zaw told some media outlets that the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) would officially rebrand itself as the Karen National Army (KNA) starting January 1.

The BGF units that have changed their name to KNA are led by Colonel Saw Chit Thu, though it is understood that some BGF units will not join the rebranded group.

Saw Chit Thu, who exercises primary control over the BGF-turned-KNA, was sanctioned by the United States government in May 2025 for his involvement in online scam operations and cross-border human trafficking.

Similarly, in early November last year, the United States also imposed sanctions on four senior leaders of the DKBA—Saw Steel, Saw Sein Win, Saw San Aung, and Sai Kyaw Hla.

Beyond sanctions, international authorities have also begun drafting operational plans to dismantle cyber scam networks.

“Criminal organizations operating from Myanmar are stealing billions of dollars from hardworking Americans through online scams,” said John Hurley, a senior official at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

In an official statement, the U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and companies including Trans Asia and Truth Asia, stating that they had supported and strengthened online scam centers. The statement noted that many workers in these centers were human trafficking victims, and that proceeds from scams helped finance DKBA’s dangerous activities.

Following this announcement, the U.S. further declared that it would establish a special task force to combat cyber scam operations in Myanmar and across Southeast Asia.

The task force, named the “Scam Centre Strike Force,” will include agents and prosecutors from the Department of Justice, intelligence agencies, the Department of State, and the FBI.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government, which has been working with bilateral agreements to suppress cyber scam operations in northern Shan State, has issued arrest warrants and rewards for more than 100 fugitive cyber scam kingpins.

According to Xinhua News Agency, China has issued arrest warrants for 100 individuals, including major fugitives from the so-called “Four Major Crime Families” in northern Myanmar, and will reward informants and those who assist in arrests.

The Chinese Ministry of Public Security stated that it has recently issued warrants for 100 investors and core members involved in cross-border telecommunications fraud, including Wu Qifan, Wu Qingzhen, Fu Xiaoping, and Ou Chanhua, citing solid evidence of their crimes.

Chinese public security authorities from multiple regions—including Zhejiang (Hangzhou, Wenzhou), Fujian (Quanzhou, Longyan), Henan (Pingdingshan), Guangdong (Shenzhen), Yunnan (Kunming), and Chongqing—jointly decided to issue reward-based arrest warrants due to the seriousness of the crimes and the sufficiency of evidence.

The Ministry urged suspects to surrender voluntarily as soon as possible to receive leniency, and called on the public to actively report information and assist in arrests.

Authorities also assured that credible informants and those who assist law enforcement will be protected and rewarded in accordance with the law.