In a significant move to crack down on transnational cybercrime, the U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions on Myanmar militia leader Saw Chit Thu and his sons for orchestrating large-scale cyber scams that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), announced this week that it has formally designated Saw Chit Thu, the powerful leader of the Karen National Army (KNA), along with his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit, for their direct involvement in cyber-enabled fraud schemes and transnational organized crime.
The KNA, headquartered in Shwe Kokko near Myanmar’s border with Thailand, controls a region that has become a notorious hotspot for cyber scam syndicates. According to the Treasury, this militia group has built a criminal infrastructure by partnering with organized crime networks, leasing out land for scam operations, and even supplying electricity and armed security to these scam compounds.
Shwe Kokko, within Myanmar’s southeastern Karen State, is widely known as a base for cyber fraud syndicates. Survivors rescued from sites like KK Park—a notorious scam hub—have revealed how they were coerced into carrying out cyber scams under threat and confinement. Many reported that armed guards at these locations wore uniforms marked with the KNA insignia, underlining the militia’s deep involvement in maintaining these operations.
Saw Chit Thu, described as a key figure in Myanmar’s scam ecosystem, is said to have enabled a range of crimes, including human trafficking, smuggling, and financial fraud that reaches beyond Myanmar’s borders. His appointment of his sons to influential roles in both the KNA and its affiliated business ventures further cements the family’s grip on the region’s illicit economy.
His son Saw Htoo Eh Moo reportedly holds interests in KNA-linked commercial enterprises, while Saw Chit Chit—who is directly involved in military activities—serves as a director in several of these businesses.
Although already sanctioned by the UK in 2023 and the European Union in 2024, this new U.S. action freezes all property and interests held by Saw Chit Thu, his sons, and the Karen National Army within U.S. jurisdiction. Additionally, the sanctions prohibit any U.S. person from transacting with them without specific authorization.
OFAC also warned that non-U.S. individuals or entities dealing with the sanctioned parties could face penalties themselves, reinforcing Washington’s global stance against cybercrime and its enablers.
These sanctions reflect growing international scrutiny of criminal networks operating from Myanmar’s ungoverned regions, where local militias, private armies, and foreign criminal enterprises are increasingly working together to exploit digital fraud at a global scale.
