Thailand seeks arrest warrants for allies of the Burmese junta

Thailand will finally crack down on Burmese government allies who host and protect criminal-run call centers.

On Tuesday, February 11, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said:

"The Department of Special Investigations (DSI) is seeking an arrest warrant for Colonel Saw Chit Thu, head of the Karen Border Guard Brigade (BGF), a force allied with the Burmese junta, and two other high-ranking officers, for transnational human trafficking."

The other two suspects are Lt. Col. Mote Thone and Maj. Tin Win, a DSI source said.

The BGF controls the Shwe Kokko Project, a hub for transnational organized crime that has developed in the town of Shwe Kokko, near Myawaddy, in Burma's Karen State.

Recently, leaders of this Karen minority group have attempted to exonerate themselves and have called on Thailand to reverse its actions of cutting off electricity and fuel supplies to five areas of Burma that are home to scam centers.

See: Burmese call center accomplices ready to cooperate with Thailand

When asked how Thailand planned to apprehend the three high-ranking officers in Burma, Colonel Tawee said:

"Thailand will then seek cooperation from Burma, alongside efforts by ASEAN and China to coordinate the arrest of these suspects.

Arresting these suspects is not difficult in reality.

However, this will largely depend on the willingness of (regional) leaders to help us.

If they truly consider this transnational crime a threat to their country, they will have to do so."

The minister insisted that the warrants are supported by solid evidence, which the DSI has been gathering for some time, and that they include details of the financial flows involved.

The Thai government is working closely with the U.S. Embassy in Thailand, as a number of U.S. citizens have also been victims of gangs operating in Myanmar, he said.

In addition to these three key suspects, other suspects are likely to be arrested, including two Thai nationals who work for a company that operates a tourist resort in both Thailand and Myawaddy, the same DSI source said.

Police Major Worranan Srilum, spokesman for the DSI, said on Tuesday:

"The IT department has not yet submitted its request for new mandates."

But his meeting with prosecutors from the Human Trafficking Litigation Division on Tuesday afternoon was to discuss related issues.

The CIO source added:

"This transnational human trafficking case involves seven Indian nationals recently rescued by Thai authorities from a call center fraud den located in a casino called Heng Sheng in Myawaddy, just across the road from Thailand's Mae Sot district."

See also:

Thailand: Burmese cities to remain in the dark despite protests

Tortured Kenyan escapes from Burmese call center to Thailand

Chaos in Burma after Thailand cuts off supplies

Thailand steps up fight against scam gangs in Myanmar

Tourist kidnapping: Thailand secures its border with Burma

Another Chinese man kidnapped in Thailand has been freed from the hell of Burmese call centers

Burmese criminals who threaten Thailand tourism make shocking statement

Source: Bangkok Post