ANKARA

Chinese authorities on Tuesday said that Myanmar has handed over 31,000 telecom fraud suspects to Beijing.

The suspects were arrested since law enforcement officers from both countries launched a crackdown on online scams in September, the daily Global Times reported citing the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.

The ministry said that among the suspects, 63 are financial sponsors and ringleaders, while 1,531 are fugitives who were operating online.

The ministry said that it will maintain pressure on telecom and internet fraud groups based in northern Myanmar to “completely eradicate fraud operations and apprehend individuals involved in criminal wrongdoing in accordance with law," according to the daily.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid