28 arrested in Mandalay for gemstone fraud, including Chinese nationals

Mekong, September 16 In Mandalay city, Maha Aung Myay Township, a total of 28 individuals, including 11 foreigners from China, Indonesia, and Malaysia, were arrested along with over 500 mobile phones and computers for defrauding customers by selling fake gemstones and low-quality jade online, the military council announced today. The incident occurred when authorities raided a house located between 80th Street and 39th-40th Streets in the Maha Aung Myay East Ward on the morning of September 2nd, based on a tip that foreigners were engaged in online gemstone fraud. It is reported that at this location, 2 Chinese nationals led by Chinese national Mr. Chen Xiao Dai, 4 Indonesian nationals, 1 Malaysian national, and 13 Myanmar nationals, totaling 20 people, were initially arrested with over 30 computers and 81 mobile phones. As a follow-up to the arrest, on the evening of September 3rd, the house owned by Inkun Khartawm, located at the corner of 68th and 101st Streets in Maha Myain 1 Ward, which housed the "MagDalenamoom Gemstone Trading" business, was searched again. During this search, 4 Myanmar nationals and 4 Chinese nationals, including the homeowner Inkun Khartawm, were further arrested with 498 mobile phones, computers, and 15 jade bracelets. According to the military council's investigation, the leader of this gang was Chinese national Chen Xiao Dai, and approximately 500 phones used for the fraud were illegally smuggled into Myanmar through the Laos border. They had collected fake finished jade products and low-quality items at a three-story building in Maha Aung Myay Township and Inkun Khartawm's gemstone sales premises, and conducted fraudulent sales by broadcasting live online in a lottery format. Subsequently, they would inform the lottery winners that they had received raw jade as a gift and then demand payment for shipping and taxes, after which they would block the customers and abscond with the money. The military council stated that the fraudulently obtained funds were directly transferred to bank accounts in Indonesia and Malaysia, and that legal action is being taken against the 28 arrested individuals, comprising 6 Chinese, 4 Indonesians, 1 Malaysian, and 17 Myanmar nationals.