US Sanctions Myanmar Warlord Over Cyber Scam Network

Saw Chit Thu, The Irrawaddy

The United States has slapped fresh sanctions on a Myanmar warlord, his two sons, and the militia he commands, accusing them of running a vast cyber scam operation tied to human trafficking and transnational crime.

The Treasury Department named Saw Chit Thu, leader of the Karen National Army (KNA), as a key player in a web of online fraud targeting Americans. Based in the so-called “Special Economic Zone” of Shwe Kokko, near the Thai-Myanmar border, the KNA is alleged to lease land and provide protection for compounds where trafficked individuals are coerced into scamming people online.

“Cyber scam operations like these generate billions for criminals while leaving victims robbed of savings and trust,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender in a statement on Monday.

The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets held by Saw Chit Thu, his sons Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit, and bar American entities from doing business with them. The KNA itself is now blacklisted. The move follows similar action already taken by the UK and European Union.

United Nations reports estimate hundreds of thousands of people across Southeast Asia have been trafficked into scam centres over the past few years — lured by fake job offers and then forced to work under threat of violence.

Shwe Kokko, once promoted as a business hub, has become notorious as a haven for illicit activity. Despite this, Saw Chit Thu has maintained close links with Myanmar’s military junta. In 2022, he was awarded an honorary title by General Min Aung Hlaing for “outstanding performance.”

Washington has steadily ramped up pressure on Myanmar’s military regime since its 2021 coup, targeting military-owned firms and income streams. Monday’s action marks the first Myanmar-related sanctions imposed under President Joe Biden this year.

The move also comes amid broader efforts to disrupt the global infrastructure of online fraud. Just last week, U.S. financial authorities proposed banning Cambodian conglomerate Huione Group from the American financial system, accusing it of laundering proceeds from cyber scams.

Saw Chit Thu and the KNA have yet to respond to the allegations. But with international scrutiny growing and the cybercrime economy thriving, the pressure is unlikely to ease.

-2025-05-06