YANGON: Myanmar’s junta has raided one of the country’s most notorious internet scam centres and seized Starlink devices.
The military conducted operations in KK Park near the Myanmar-Thai border and seized 30 sets of Starlink receivers and accessories.
Junta troops occupied approximately 200 buildings and discovered nearly 2,200 workers at the site.
Internet sweat shops where workers scam unsuspecting foreigners with business or romance schemes have thrived in war-ravaged Myanmar’s lawless border regions since the coronavirus pandemic.
A transnational push by Thai, Chinese and Myanmar authorities starting in February resulted in a huge crackdown releasing around 7,000 workers.
Many workers say they were trafficked to work in the fortified compounds.
An AFP investigation this month revealed rapid new construction at scam centre sites and devices using Elon Musk-owned satellite internet service Starlink being installed on their roofs.
Southeast Asian scam operations conned people in the wider region out of 37 billion dollars in 2023 according to a United Nations report.
Starlink which is not licensed in Myanmar did not have enough traffic to make it onto the list of the country’s internet providers before the February crackdown.
It topped the ranking every day from July 3 until October 1 according to data from the Asian regional internet registry APNIC.
Starlink did not respond to a request for comment following the AFP investigation.
Satellite images show what appear to be office and dormitory blocks shooting up in many of the estimated 27 scam centres along the Moei River.
While Myanmar has emerged as the epicentre of scam centres in southeast Asia they have also flourished elsewhere in the region.
South Korean police said on Monday they have issued arrest warrants for 45 suspects who were deported by Cambodia over their alleged links to cyberscam operations there. – AFP
