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Current Affairs

Ex-China soldier escapes Myanmar fraud centre by scaling wall, masking scent with cow dung

An ex-Chinese soldier has told how he escaped a Myanmar scam hub after scaling a wall, applying cow dung to mask his scent and subduing…

By Samantha Johnson / May 5, 2026

An ex-Chinese soldier has told how he escaped a Myanmar scam hub after scaling a wall, applying cow dung to mask his scent and subduing an armed guard.

Yang Lei, from northeastern China, shared the thrilling story of his escape after he arrived safely back in China.

Yang said he led a tour group of 10 people to Thailand, near the Thai-Myanmar border, in mid-March.

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The local tour guide he hired did not have a legal residence permit and tried to bypass border control, leading the group to bump into people linked to Myanmar scam hubs.

Yang Lei, above, has told of his capture and daring escape to warn others about the dangers of scam centres. Photo: Baidu
Yang Lei, above, has told of his capture and daring escape to warn others about the dangers of scam centres. Photo: Baidu

There, all the group’s 11 members, including the local guide, were sold to a snakehead at 20,000 USDT per person, which is a type of cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar.

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The snakehead then sold them to a scam compound in Payathonzu town close to the Three Pagodas Pass.

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