BEIJING - Myanmar transferred 41,000 suspects involved in telecommunication scams to China last year as Beijing continues to crack down on an illegal industry that has siphoned billions of United States dollars from unsuspecting victims.
State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported the latest figures on Friday from Chinese police, up by 10,000 since a November report. Separately, China arrested 79,000 suspects in its crackdown on illegal businesses related to cross-border scams including money laundering and illegal migration.
The number of people being sent across the border ballooned since ethnic groups in northern Myanmar launched an offensive against the ruling junta and its allies in October, with one of their stated goals was to eradicate cyber crime rings.
China dispatched anti-scam task forces last year to work with authorities in countries including Thailand and the Philippines and arrested more than 3,000 suspects, according to the CCTV report.
While China has called for peace in Myanmar, it will continue to fight against the scams, CCTV cited an official from the Ministry of Public Security as saying.