China has stepped up efforts to suppress international scam gangs along the Thai-Myanmar border by sending its assistant minister of public security, Liu Zhongyi, to visit the area and seek support to step up the crackdown.
Mr Liu, a veteran police officer, arrived at Don Mueang airport on Sunday along with about 26 other Chinese delegates, before travelling by air to Mae Sot district of Tak and crossing the border into Myawaddy.
He is expected to return home with a first batch of about 600 Chinese nationals rescued from scam gangs which operated in Myawaddy prior to a recent series of raids.
The Chinese nationals will be flown back to China on chartered flights, according to a source close to the government.
A local Myanmar official in Myawaddy, who preferred not to be named, meanwhile, said a combined security force had rescued 731 people from eight countries, including Thailand, in the recent raids.
The source couldn't confirm the number of Thais rescued, but did note that those freed came from eight countries -- China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Ethiopia and Thailand -- and were now being screened to separate genuine human trafficking victims from those who were voluntarily working in the call centre boiler rooms.
He said the Myanmar junta-allied Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) had cooperated with the crackdown which began last Tuesday when 69 people were detained.
Another 200 people were detained as the operations continued on Friday and 469 people more were rounded up on Saturday.
Rangsiman Rome, a People's Party list MP, in his capacity as chairman of the House Committee on State Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy and Reform, on Sunday led the committee on a visit to Mae Sot.
He discussed the border situation with the Naresuan military taskforce, which is responsible for guarding the 993km-long Thai-Myanmar border.
"The call centre scam gangs have grown rapidly and severely damaged Thailand's economy and tourism. This is a fight against one of the world's largest crime syndicates," said Mr Rangsiman, pledging full support from the legislators.
Following the Thai government's decision to sever electricity, fuel and internet to the border area in Myanmar where the gangs are based, gangs have switched to solar power and satellite internet connections, said Mr Rangsiman.
The MP also said he believes the BGF plays the key role in controlling Myawaddy and the scam centre hub of Shwe Kokko.
Many of the syndicates' financiers busted in Myawaddy had fled and now live in Hpa-an, the capital and largest city of Kayin State (Karen State), said Mr Rangsiman, citing intelligence he has obtained from local sources.
Earlier on Saturday, the BGF said it was preparing to deport 10,000 people linked to cyber scams in the area it controls to Thailand as part of a crackdown on the illicit compounds.
Scam compounds have mush‑ roomed in Myanmar's borderlands and are staffed by foreigners who are often trafficked and forced to work, swindling people around the world in an industry analysts say is worth billions of dollars.
"We have pledged to exile all those who operate scams on our soil," BGF spokesman Major Naing Maung Zaw told AFP on Saturday.
The BGF has already sent 61 people across a border bridge to Thailand and are preparing to hand over "about 500 more of many different nationalities" reported Maj Naing Maung Zaw.
