Police in Mandalay's Maha Aung Myay township busted a scam compound running jade-streaming operations, arresting 28 people.
The suspects include six Chinese nationals, four Indonesians, a Malaysian, and 17 locals. The ringleader was identified as Chen Xiaodai. The gang rented houses and jewelry spaces to run live streams using a pretty standard playbook.
During their broadcasts, they ran lucky draws and claimed winners would get free raw jade stones. Once a victim took the bait, the syndicate would hit them with fake shipping fees and taxes, tricking them into wiring money. As soon as the cash landed, it was immediately funneled to accounts in Indonesia and Malaysia, and the victims were blocked.
Local media reported that when police raided the spot, they seized more than 500 smartphones smuggled in from Laos, over 30 computers, 15 jade bangles, and a stash of fake, low-quality jade products.
All 28 suspects are currently in custody facing interrogation and legal proceedings. With jade stalls lining the streets, this particular crew has finally been reeled in by the cops.
