The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on a Myanmar warlord, his two sons, and the militia he commands for their role in cyber scams, human trafficking, and cross-border smuggling, the Treasury Department announced.
According to the department, Saw Chit Thu is a central figure in a sprawling network of illicit and highly profitable cyberscam operations that have targeted American citizens and others.
The United Nations has reported that criminal syndicates operating across Southeast Asia have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people in recent years, forcing many into scam operations under duress.
The sanctions apply to Saw Chit Thu, the Karen National Army (KNA) which he leads, and his sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit. The measures freeze any U.S.-based assets and prohibit American individuals and businesses from engaging with them.
The United Kingdom and the European Union have already sanctioned Saw Chit Thu for similar offenses.
Efforts to reach Saw Chit Thu or representatives of his militia for comment were unsuccessful.
The KNA is headquartered in Shwe Kokko, a Special Economic Zone on the Thai-Myanmar border. The group reportedly leases land and provides security for compounds where trafficked individuals are forced to participate in online scams, the Treasury said.
“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 of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.
Saw Chit Thu’s position has been strengthened by close ties with Myanmar’s ruling military. In November 2022, junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing awarded him an honorary title for “outstanding performance.”
Since the military’s 2021 coup that ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the U.S. has repeatedly sanctioned Myanmar’s junta and its financial backers in response to the escalating civil conflict.
Monday’s announcement marks the first Myanmar-related sanctions imposed since President Donald Trump assumed office in January.
Separately, the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network last week proposed banning Cambodian financial firm Huione Group from the U.S. financial system over its alleged involvement in laundering illicit proceeds from cyber fraud and online scams.
