China established a temporary ‘border control zone’ at its town Tengchong close to Kachin State in Myanmar on 2 October.

The Foreign Brief reported that the Chinese authorities will register and check all individuals and vehicles entering the zone for people smuggling and human trafficking until 31 December this year.

Tengchong is a primary gateway between China and Myanmar’s Kachin State.

The Chinese authorities will also check on the fraudulent importation of telecommunications products and software as part of measures to control rising telecom fraud by transnational crime groups operating out of camps across the Myanmar border and across Southeast Asia.

Criminal activities have surged for several years in the porous border territory between China and Southeast Asia, especially in Myanmar and Laos.

China has increased its measures to control internet crime after media reports on these criminal schemes, and reports from the UNODC and similar organizations.

Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and China launched joint operations in respective border areas in August to fight against illegal gambling and fraud operations.

As a result, Myanmar deported a total of 1,482 Chinese nationals implicated in a telecom fraud scheme in the north of Myanmar. They were transferred to the Chinese authorities in September, according to the statement by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security