The United States government has officially announced sanctions against Border Guard Force (BGF) leader Colonel Saw Chit Thu and his two sons, Saw Tur Ay Mu and Saw Chit Chit, for their involvement in online financial fraud targeting American citizens, human trafficking, and cross-border smuggling operations. The U.S. Department of Treasury’s announcement specifically targets these three individuals as part of their enforcement actions against transnational criminal activities.
The BGF, led by Colonel Saw Chit Thu, controls the border town of Myawaddy along the Thai-Myanmar border, where numerous cyber scam operations are based. These operations have generated billions in revenue for criminal leaders and their associates. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Treasury Michael Faulkender stated that the department will employ various methods to disrupt these criminal networks that profit from illegal activities.
Colonel Saw Chit Thu, also known as San Myint, and his family members and allies have established a transnational business network that includes cyber fraud operations, illegal casinos, and gambling enterprises. The military and BGF continue to profit from these illegal operations while enjoying impunity from international criminal prosecution. The family’s business empire includes six BGF-owned companies, with shares distributed among family members. They also hold minority stakes in notorious compounds such as Apollo Park and Yulong Bay Park, where Saw Chit Thu’s son, BGF Major Saw Tur Ay Mu, serves as both director and shareholder.
The family members involved in these operations include Saw Chit Thu’s two sons – BGF Major Saw Tur Ay Mu (age 32) and Major Saw Chit Chit (age 28), his daughter Nant Hnin Nanda Aye (age 26), and his wife Nant Khin Hla Thu. His daughter, who received her business management education in Singapore and Britain, serves as a shareholder and director in four BGF businesses. While his wife Nant Khin Hla Thu is involved in the family business operations, she does not hold official shareholder or director positions but benefits significantly from the BGF’s business ventures.
