Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Mote Thone, a senior leader of the pro-regime Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), over his alleged role in cross-border human trafficking operations feeding Myanmar’s borderland cyber scam compounds.
The warrant was issued on Monday, according to a DSI Legal Affairs Division document obtained and reported by the Karen Information Center (KIC).
Charges and legal scope of the warrant
According to the circulated document, the 50-year-old militia commander faces multiple counts of cross-border human trafficking involving the illegal movement of victims between Myanmar and Thailand:
- Penalties: Each individual charge carries a statutory minimum prison sentence of three years under Thai human trafficking legislation.
- Validity: The legal arrest warrant remains active and enforceable through Aug. 16, 2037.
- Verification Status: While the document has circulated widely among regional border networks, media outlets noted that its official seal and filing status have not been independently verified by Thai judicial authorities.
Follows high-level security talks in Naypyidaw
The reported issuance of the warrant closely follows a high-level security summit in Naypyidaw on Saturday focused on suppressing borderland cyber fraud and human trafficking syndicates.
A senior Thai delegation—headed by Privy Councillor General Paiboon Koomchaya and Royal Thai Police Deputy Chief Lieutenant General Samran Nualma—met directly with the military regime’s Minister for Home Affairs, Nyunt Win Swe, to coordinate law enforcement operations along the Moei River border corridor.
Myawaddy Transnational Crime & Militia Profile
├── Primary Hub: Myawaddy Township (Across Moei River from Mae Sot, Thailand)
├── Key Target: Mote Thone (Karen BGF / ex-KNA affiliate)
├── Internal Militia Status: Refused Chit Thu's order to disarm; operates independently
└── International Sanctions Status:
├── Saw Chit Thu: Sanctioned by US, UK, EU, & Switzerland
└── Mote Thone: Currently unsanctioned; now subject to Thai DSI warrant
Residents in Myawaddy Township—located 81 miles (130 km) east of the Karen State capital, Hpa-An—noted that while Mote Thone has operated criminal enterprises for years, the sudden legal move by Bangkok likely reflects mounting pressure from Naypyidaw as the regime attempts to showcase anti-scam enforcement to neighbouring governments.
Militia fractures and ongoing regime support
The DSI action represents a continuation of Thailand’s broader legal campaign against BGF leadership. Thai authorities previously sought arrest warrants in February 2025 targeting Mote Thone alongside top BGF commanders Saw Chit Thu and Tin Win following statements from rescued international trafficking victims.
- Internal Militia Rift: Earlier this year, Mote Thone defied direct orders from Saw Chit Thu to surrender weapons and integrate into the rebranded Karen National Army, leading to an internal factional split.
- Direct Junta Alignment: Despite breaking with Chit Thu, Mote Thone continues to command frontline fighters directly assisting Myanmar military forces in combat operations against anti-regime resistance units across Myawaddy Township.
While BGF chief Chit Thu remains heavily sanctioned by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and Switzerland for human trafficking and forced labor in casino zones like Shwe Kokko, Mote Thone had previously avoided international sanctions lists prior to the DSI’s latest warrant. Explore the DVB Myanmar Sanctions Monitor.
