The United States government officially announced sanctions yesterday against Major Saw Chit Soe (aka San Myint), the leader of the military council-affiliated Border Guard Force (BGF), and his two sons for cross-border crimes including online financial fraud targeting Americans. The BGF, which has been renamed as the Karen National Army (KNA), has amassed wealth through illegal gambling establishments, cyber scam operations, and other transnational criminal enterprises while avoiding international accountability. However, recent crackdowns on cross-border criminal activities by Thailand due to pressure from China, along with the new US sanctions, have significantly impacted Saw Chit Soe and his business operations.
While Saw Chit Soe and his sons now face US sanctions, other family members deeply involved in the BGF business empire, particularly his wife Nant Khin Hla Thu and daughter Nant Hnin Nanda Aye, remain free from sanctions. Notably, 27-year-old Nant Hnin Nanda Aye has leveraged her international education background from Singapore and the UK to build a business profile. According to Justice For Myanmar, she holds shares and directorships in four major BGF-linked companies: Chit Lin Myaing Mining and Industries Company Limited, Chit Lin Myaing Toyota Company Limited, Shwe Padamyar Myaing Company Limited, and Htoo Metta Htoo Company Limited.
Since the military coup in February 2021, Nant Hnin Nanda Aye has expanded her business operations in the notorious border area of Shwe Kokko, opening new ventures including a luxury perfume and imported liquor store and recently established restaurants. While Saw Chit Soe’s wife, Nant Khin Hla Thu, is not officially listed as a shareholder or director in BGF-related businesses, her social media activities demonstrate deep involvement in these enterprises. She benefits from these operations and maintains a luxurious lifestyle from their profits. With Saw Chit Soe and his sons now under US sanctions, their options for external safe havens have become limited. However, the fact that other complicit family members remain unsanctioned indicates the need for more comprehensive sanctions against the BGF network.
