This aerial photo taken on September 17, 2025 shows the KK Park complex in Myanmar’s eastern Myawaddy township, as pictured from Mae Sot district in Thailand’s border province of Tak. (AFP)

Myanmar’s ruling junta has raided one of the country’s most infamous cyber scam centres near the Thai border, seizing Starlink satellite internet equipment, state media reported on Monday. The operation took place after an AFP investigation exposed a surge in the use of Starlink devices powering the illicit scam industry thriving in Myanmar’s conflict zones.

The raid occurred at KK Park, a major complex in the lawless border region, where the military confiscated 30 Starlink receivers and accessories. However, satellite and drone imagery reviewed by AFP showed far more devices, with nearly 80 dishes visible on a single rooftop. Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is not licensed in Myanmar.

Rising scams and expanding networks

Authorities said junta troops occupied around 200 buildings during the raid, discovering nearly 2,200 workers and arresting 15 Chinese nationals accused of online gambling and fraud. The Global New Light of Myanmar reported the site was linked to large-scale cyberscam operations, which have boomed since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down border casinos.

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Southeast Asian scams cost victims around $37 billion in 2023. Myanmar has become a central hub for such activities, although neighbouring countries like Cambodia also host major operations. Last week, Cambodia deported 64 South Koreans accused of involvement in similar scams.

Scam centres in Myanmar’s borderlands are typically operated by Chinese criminal syndicates with backing from local militias aligned with the junta. These networks are part of Myanmar’s black-market economy, alongside drug production and mining, which help fund factions in the ongoing civil conflict sparked by the 2021 coup.

China has intensified its crackdown on these operations, arresting over 57,000 Chinese nationals for cross-border fraud. Despite the pressure, new construction continues at scam compounds along the Moei River, with satellite images showing rapid expansion.

The US Congress Joint Economic Committee has begun investigating Starlink’s connection to the scam networks. While the committee can summon Musk to testify, it cannot compel him to appear. SpaceX has yet to comment on the issue.