Dubai scam centers shut down in joint US-China operation

U.S. and Chinese law enforcement agencies have raided at least nine scam centers across Dubai, resulting in 276 arrests, as part of a joint operation conducted alongside the Dubai Police Department, with assistance from the Royal Thai Police and Meta, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

Apprehended in the operation, which commenced last year after complaints of crypto investment fraud-related losses to the FBI, were Burmese national Thet Min Nyi, who was part of the Ko Thet Company, and Indonesian nationals Wiliang Awang, Andreas Chandra, and Lisa Mariam, who ran the Sanduo Group and Giant Company, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. All of the firms were allegedly involved in 'pig-butchering' scams.

Such a law enforcement operation comes after Beijing was accused by certain U.S. officials of leveraging scam center disruptions to gain control across Southeast Asia. Chinese state-sponsored investment projects and scam hubs were also noted by U.S. government analysts to be colluding in illicit activity.