Online scam exposes network of foreign prostitutes operating in Payathonzu area
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Phyo/Thant Zin (NP News) – Jan 8
A knowledgeable source told The Statesman journal that in the Payathonzu area of Kayin State along the Myanmar–Thailand border, there are many foreign prostitutes involved in online money-scam operations, charging nearly 20,000 baht per night.
It is known that online money laundering operations are present in and around the Payathonzu, and in 2023, women from China, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam were working as foreign prostitutes in these operations.
The leaders of the online money-laundering gangs reportedly recruit foreign sex workers for more than 18,000 Thai baht or over 1.1 million Myanmar kyats per night.
“When we first arrived, it was a promotional period. It was December 2023, and the price was 18,000 baht per night for a prostitute. There were women not only from China, but also from Hong Kong and Macau, who were not Chinese nationals. There were also Filipinos, and they all spoke Chinese. Some people thought they were Chinese; however, we knew otherwise. We saw their ID cards and passports. There were Vietnamese, Cambodians, Filipinos, and Chinese,” the source said.
In addition, there are also Myanmar women in this industry, and most of the prostitutes are victims of human trafficking, he said.
“There were also Kachin women, as well as women from Macau. You could say they were ‘Chinese, but not Chinese.’ There were also women from Hong Kong. Those women are common in the prostitution business. Basically, the warlords use money earned from criminal activities to seek pleasure, taking drugs and having sex with prostitutes. That’s what they do. Those women are in a condition where they can no longer survive without drugs. They are given one dose of drugs per day. Whether they work or not, they are fed that way. It’s essentially human trafficking. They become unable to function without drugs. Drugs like K, Happy Water, and methamphetamine. If they don’t use them, they become irritable and unstable. It’s extremely bad,” he said.
Currently, there are nearly 30 online fraud sites in Kyain Chaung Village, Lay Wa Phlo Village, Thit Laung Yue Waterfall, A1 Waterfall Recreation Center, and Ywa Thit Village Natural Swimming Pool in Payathonzu Township.
The Payathonzu town, where many of these businesses are located, is also home to businesses involved in drugs, casinos, and prostitution, and the law and order situation in the area is reportedly in a state of concern.
Zawgyi Version:
Online scam exposes network of foreign prostitutes operating in Payathonzu area
Phyo/Thant Zin (NP News) – Jan 8
A knowledgeable source told The Statesman journal that in the Payathonzu area of Kayin State along the Myanmar–Thailand border, there are many foreign prostitutes involved in online money-scam operations, charging nearly 20,000 baht per night.
It is known that online money laundering operations are present in and around the Payathonzu, and in 2023, women from China, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam were working as foreign prostitutes in these operations.
The leaders of the online money-laundering gangs reportedly recruit foreign sex workers for more than 18,000 Thai baht or over 1.1 million Myanmar kyats per night.
“When we first arrived, it was a promotional period. It was December 2023, and the price was 18,000 baht per night for a prostitute. There were women not only from China, but also from Hong Kong and Macau, who were not Chinese nationals. There were also Filipinos, and they all spoke Chinese. Some people thought they were Chinese; however, we knew otherwise. We saw their ID cards and passports. There were Vietnamese, Cambodians, Filipinos, and Chinese,” the source said.
In addition, there are also Myanmar women in this industry, and most of the prostitutes are victims of human trafficking, he said.
“There were also Kachin women, as well as women from Macau. You could say they were ‘Chinese, but not Chinese.’ There were also women from Hong Kong. Those women are common in the prostitution business. Basically, the warlords use money earned from criminal activities to seek pleasure, taking drugs and having sex with prostitutes. That’s what they do. Those women are in a condition where they can no longer survive without drugs. They are given one dose of drugs per day. Whether they work or not, they are fed that way. It’s essentially human trafficking. They become unable to function without drugs. Drugs like K, Happy Water, and methamphetamine. If they don’t use them, they become irritable and unstable. It’s extremely bad,” he said.
Currently, there are nearly 30 online fraud sites in Kyain Chaung Village, Lay Wa Phlo Village, Thit Laung Yue Waterfall, A1 Waterfall Recreation Center, and Ywa Thit Village Natural Swimming Pool in Payathonzu Township.
The Payathonzu town, where many of these businesses are located, is also home to businesses involved in drugs, casinos, and prostitution, and the law and order situation in the area is reportedly in a state of concern.