US Sanctions Burmese Warlord, Ethnic Militia Over Scam Centers, Human Trafficking

Posted on: May 9, 2025, 12:42h. 

Last updated on: May 9, 2025, 12:42h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.
  • US sanctions Burmese militia for cyber scams, trafficking crimes
  • Karen National Army profiting from illegal gambling, scam compounds
  • Victims coerced into fraud schemes in Myanmar border towns

The US Treasury has sanctioned a powerful Burmese warlord and his militia for facilitating cyber scams, human trafficking, and cross-border smuggling.

Karen National Army, Myanmar scam centers, Saw Chit Thu, US sanctions Myanmar
Saw Chit Thu, above, addresses a crowd during a 2019 event in Shwe Kokko, a border town known for controversial development projects. He and the Karen National Army face US sanctions over alleged involvement in illicit activity and human rights abuses. (Image: The Irrawaddy)

Saw Chit Thu presides over the Karen National Army (KNA), an ethnic militia operating primarily in Kayin (Karen) State, a remote region of Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Saw Chit Thu is also a businessman heavily involved in illegal casino operations, online gambling activities, and scam centers, which are a significant source of revenue for the group.

The KNA controls areas like Shwe Kokko and Myawaddy Township, towns along the Thai border that have become hubs for cyber scam operations and gambling. The operations are often staffed by trafficked individuals forced to carry out fraud schemes under duress.

$3.5B Lost to Scams

Americans lost over $3.5 billion in 2023 to scams linked to criminal networks based in Myanmar and nearby countries, according to the Treasury Department.

“Cyber scam operations, such as those run by the KNA, generate billions in revenue for criminal kingpins and their associates, while depriving victims of their hard-earned savings and sense of security,” said Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender.

“Treasury is committed to using all available tools to disrupt these networks and hold accountable those who seek to profit from these criminal schemes,” he added.

The KNA began as part of a broader Karen insurgent movement, which has been fighting against the Myanmar military junta for decades, seeking autonomy for the Karen people.

However, after a 2009 ceasefire, it allied with the junta in return for greater autonomy in the region. In 2024, it split with the junta and is once again officially fighting the Burmese government.

The KNA has thousands of fighters and operates in dense jungle and mountainous terrain, which makes it difficult for the Myanmar military to conduct successful offensives. Its strongholds are deeply entrenched, and the militia has cross-border fallback options into Thailand, making its total elimination nearly impossible.

US Assets Blocked

The sanctions, which follow those already imposed by the UK and the EU, target the KNA and its top leadership, blocking access to any assets they hold in the US.

Americans are barred from conducting business with the group, and foreign companies that continue doing so could also face consequences.

“Under Saw Chit Thu’s leadership, the KNA has become a key enabler of scam operations in the region, providing security at compounds and leasing land to criminal organizations while profiting handsomely at the expense of scam victims and of the otherwise innocent people forced to carry out these crimes,” the Treasury said in a statement.