According to reports from Burmese media, cited by China Overseas Network, the Miwaidi scam operation in Myanmar, which was jointly eradicated by China and Myanmar last year and resulted in the deaths of many Chinese citizens, has shown a resurgence this year. Not only have new scam operations been established, but some of these new operations have already been completed. The scam groups are also recruiting members through social media platforms.
In the southeastern part of Myanmar, in Karen State, the Myo Wadi area, which faces Thailand across a river, was once a concentrated area for fraud operations. In 2025, China, Myanmar, and Thailand jointly carried out a raid to dismantle several such fraud operations.
According to reports by the People's Daily and other media, the ministerial-level coordination mechanism established among China, Myanmar, and Thailand will continue to operate in 2026. As of February 2026, joint operations between the three countries have resulted in the repatriation of over 1500 criminal suspects from the Miao Wadi KK Industrial Park, and more than 630 related buildings within the KK Industrial Park have been demolished.
As a key area, all 77 illegal buildings in the water gully were demolished by July 26, 2026. Among them, 57 buildings were demolished using construction machinery, and 20 buildings were demolished by blasting. The last 17-story building was demolished by blasting on that day, marking the completion of the demolition of all 77 illegal buildings.
However, the Burmese International News (BNI) reported that after the original plantations were destroyed, the fraud syndicates have been shifting their operations to inland or more secretive areas, such as near Tipaki Village, as well as areas controlled by armed forces like the Democratic Karen National Liberation Army (DKBA). Additionally, according to local residents, fraud activities are still active in border areas such as Wuchi Valley and Paru.
It is reported that the fraudulent group has begun recruiting members through social media platforms, and the new park is already partially completed. Residents say that large-scale construction is underway in the suburbs of Shugou Valley, and many businesses are moving to Tikaiki Village. Analysts point out that one reason why these criminal networks can continue to exist is their reliance on local armed groups such as the Karen Defense Forces (BGF) and its affiliated organizations for protection.
A local youth activist believes that the systematic collapse of the rule of law in Myanmar after the coup has allowed black markets that promote human trafficking and forced labor to expand unchecked. Political analysts agree with this view, stating that the military government and certain armed groups that profit from billions of dollars in electricity fraud activities use showy crackdowns as a political cover.
