BANGKOK — Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has revealed evidence connecting top Border Guard Force (BGF) leaders to a human trafficking case involving eight Indian nationals forced into scam operations in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region. However, prosecutors say more evidence is needed before arrest warrants can be issued.
The case targets high-ranking BGF officials including Colonel Saw Chit Thu (also known as Col. Maung Chit Thu), Lieutenant Colonel Mote Thone, and Major Tin Win. DSI investigators presented their findings to anti-trafficking prosecutors on February 11, but were advised to gather additional evidence before seeking court approval for arrest warrants.
The investigation coincides with Thailand’s broader crackdown on border scam operations, including cutting off electricity, fuel, and internet services to five suspected scammer bases along the Myanmar border and disrupting internet signals along the Cambodian border. However, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong emphasized that this specific case predates the current crackdown by almost three years.
According to DSI sources, the investigation centers on events between May and August 2022, when eight Indian nationals, including Javed Awawasli, were lured to Thailand with promises of legitimate telemarketing work. The victims were initially recruited by a Pakistani agent named Sarah and an employer identified only as Edward.
After arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the victims were transported to Mae Sot district in Tak province and then smuggled across the Moei River to Heng Seng Resort and Casino in Myawaddy. There, they were reportedly subjected to physical abuse, electric shocks, and imprisonment when they refused to participate in scam operations. They were only released after their families paid ransom.
The investigation has uncovered a complex network involving multiple nationalities. Edward and Chinese national Xie Xiangde allegedly forced the victims to work at the facility, while Marshall Islands citizen Martin Q.Y. Zhang, also known as Q. Yun Zhang, who owns Heng Seng Resort and Casino, reportedly coordinated with Thai company Heng Seng Trading Co., Ltd. to transport the victims.
Key evidence includes a property lease contract dated June 22, 2017, showing that BGF’s 4th Brigade, under Colonel Saw Chit Thu’s leadership, leased the property where the alleged crimes occurred.
BGF’s deputy commander in Myawaddy, Lieutenant Colonel Nay Mong Soe, denied the allegations in an interview with DVB News. “We don’t force anyone into our territory,” he stated. “These foreigners don’t fly in or float down from the sky. BGF is ready to cooperate with any country to repatriate their nationals.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) forces handed over 260 victims of international scam call centers to Thai authorities on Wednesday afternoon at the Thai-Myanmar border.
The multinational group, comprising 221 males and 39 females from 20 different countries, was received by a joint task force of Thai officials at Ban Chong Kaep in Tak province’s Phop Phra district. The Ratchamanu Task Force, Border Patrol Police, and local law enforcement coordinated the transfer, using nine trucks to transport the victims to a screening facility at Border Patrol Police Company 346.
The largest group among the rescued victims consisted of 138 Ethiopian nationals, followed by 23 Kenyans and 16 Filipino citizens. Other significant groups included 15 Malaysians, 12 Pakistanis, and 10 Chinese nationals. The diverse group also included individuals from various countries across Asia, Africa, and South America, with single representatives from Tanzania, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Ghana, and India.
Thai authorities are now working with respective embassies to verify the victims’ identities and arrange their safe return to their home countries. This rescue operation marks one of the largest groups of trafficking victims to be transferred from Myanmar to Thailand in recent months.
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Related report: Thailand Works with US, China to Hunt BGF Trafficking Suspects
