The Department of Justice announced 276 arrests in connection with cryptocurrency 'pig-butchering' schemes that siphoned millions of dollars from American bank accounts.
At least nine scam centers were dismantled. The investigation was a result of 'unprecedented cooperation between the FBI, Dubai Police Department, and Chinese Ministry of Public Security.'
Six individuals face federal fraud and money laundering charges in the Southern District of California, including Thet Min Nyi of Myanmar and Indonesian nationals Wiliang Awang, Andreas Chandra, and Lisa Mariam. Two other suspects remain at large.
Dubai Police led the disruption, arresting Nyi, Chandra, and Mariam. Awang was apprehended by the Royal Thai Police.
If convicted, each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and fines up to $500,000.
The case dates to 2025, when FBI agents in San Diego identified companies allegedly operating crypto fraud schemes out of compounds in the city.
According to the indictment, the accused managed, worked for, and recruited for companies Ko Thet Company, Sanduo Group, and Giant Company, which engaged in pig-butchering schemes-gaining victims' trust through online relationships before defrauding them.
'Fraudsters who target Americans from overseas cannot operate with impunity,' said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. 'Global crime now faces global justice.'