Powerful ethnic militia in Myanmar repatriates 1,200 Chinese suspected of involvement in cybercrime

BANGKOK — One of Myanmar’s biggest and most powerful ethnic minority militias has arrested and repatriated more than 1,200 Chinese nationals allegedly involved in criminal online scam operations, an official of the group said Saturday.

The arrests were carried out in territory controlled by the United Wa State Army, or UWSA, in eastern Shan state in raids on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nyi Rang, a liaison officer from the militia, told The Associated Press.

He said in a text message that the arrested people were handed over to Chinese police at the border gate in Panghsang — also known as Pangkham city — the capital of Wa-administered territory on the border with China’s Yunnan province.

Cybercrime scams have become a major issue in Asia, as many of the workers employed to carry out the online scams are themselves victims of criminal gangs, who lure them with fake job offers and…