China detains suspect in human trafficking cases linked to online scam networks in Myanmar

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities have detained a key suspect in human trafficking cases linked to online scam networks near the borders of Myanmar and Thailand, China’s Ministry of Public Security said, weeks after the high-profile disappearance of an actor sparked safety concerns.

The suspect, surnamed Yan, was captured through the joint efforts of the ministry, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and Thai law enforcement officers, it said. Yan had returned to China on Saturday and an investigation is ongoing, it said in a statement late Sunday.

It vowed to deepen law enforcement cooperation with other countries and spare no effort in arresting suspects in the scam networks.

Earlier this month, Chinese actor Wang Xing was lured by a promise of an acting opportunity and traveled to Thailand but instead was taken across the border into Myanmar, where police believe he was put to work in a call scam operation targeting Chinese people, Thai police said.

Wang was eventually sent back to China, but his case has sparked fears about travel to Thailand among many Chinese, clouding the Southeast Asian country's tourism prospects during the Lunar New Year holidays, which begin Tuesday.

Last week, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra used a video generated by artificial intelligence to assure Chinese tourists that her government is boosting security and attaches great importance to the safety of tourists.

But a series of recent human trafficking cases has already harmed Thai tourism.

A concert by Hong Kong pop star Eason Chan in Bangkok in February was canceled due to safety concerns for Chinese citizens. Users on China's Weibo social media platform also expressed fears about visiting Thailand.

Criminal activity has flourished in border areas of military-ruled Myanmar, where fighting has pitted armed ethnic groups against the army for decades.

Chinese authorities say they have cracked down on criminal syndicates in joint operations with neighboring countries, leading to thousands of people being returned to China, but those campaigns did not include arrests of ring leaders in Myanmar.

People from Malaysia and the Philippines lured by job offerings in Myanmar have also been forced to work in call centers against their will.

Chinese investors operate casino complexes in Myanmar in what amounts to autonomous development zones in cooperation with Myanmar’s Border Guard Force, a militia belonging to the ethnic Karen minority.