The United States on Monday imposed new Myanmar-related sanctions targeting a warlord, his two sons and the militia he leads for facilitating cyber scams targeting Americans, human trafficking and cross-border smuggling.
The Treasury Department, in a statement said the sanctions were imposed on the Karen National Army, KNA, Saw Chit Thu and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit.
According to the statement, the Karen National Army, led by Saw Chit Thu, has long controlled a region located on the Thai-Burmese border, which is home to multiple cyber scam syndicates.
The frontier town of Myawaddy, where KNA is headquartered, has become a key battleground as troops of Myanmar's ruling junta and rebels jostle for control of the outpost that handles more than $1 billion in border trade every year.
"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.
"The Treasury is committed to using all available tools to disrupt these networks and hold accountable those who seek to profit from these criminal schemes," Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender said.
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