Myanmar intensifies national drive against telecom fraud, online gambling

Combined inspection teams are taking action against telecom fraud, online gambling, and other criminal activities as they investigate whether any illegal operations are being carried out in the Shwekokko area.

 

THE Myanmar government em­phasizes the elimination process of online scams and gambling, which harm the international community as well as the entire world, as a national duty. Security force members and administra­tive organizations participate in combating the above crime with the sacrifice of life, blood and sweat by using vehicles, machin­ery and financial costs.

 

While online fraud and gam­bling activities are being active­ly suppressed, the government has instructed that, particularly in the Shwekokko area of Kay­in State, measures be taken to prevent online fraud, online gambling, and criminal activities. Starting from yesterday morning, combined investigation teams, including security forces and administrative bodies, have be­gun the operation to determine whether such activities exist and whether any illegal operations are being conducted. Any find­ings from these investigations will be acted upon effectively.

 

Those who committed online fraud and gambling offences en­tered Myanmar, via Thailand and some neighbouring countries, crossing the border paths ille­gally. The main perpetrators of these online fraud and gambling activities, including Chinese na­tionals, recruited and organized individuals through social me­dia. These individuals – some forced to work in these opera­tions from various countries, and some evading justice after committing crimes – have been involved in online fraud activities. Since around 2015, they have op­erated in several Southeast Asian countries. Following conflicts in some neighbouring countries, they entered and operated in the Myawady area, temporarily con­trolled by Kayin armed groups, using various methods and means from across the border.

 

In 2022, infrastructure was constructed, and illegal activi­ties, including telecom fraud and online gambling, were carried out in the Laukkai area of Shan State (North). In response, the Myanmar government, together with China, established a joint bilateral task force to suppress online fraud and gambling ac­tivities in the Laukkai area. Dur­ing these operations, although those apprehended had entered Myanmar illegally, the govern­ment, taking into consideration humanitarian concerns and mu­tual goodwill between countries, investigated them according to the law. A total of 53,388 individ­uals involved were repatriated to their respective countries. The main perpetrators of the crimes were arrested, detained, and for­mally handed over to the relevant authorities of the governments concerned.

 

These telecom fraud and online gambling activities orig­inated from Shan State (North) and reached the Myawady area along the Thailand–Myanmar border. The KK Park area, where Mulaei Alin Company and Tran- Asia International Holding Group (Thailand) began their opera­tions, was established as a pro­ject under the pretext of carrying out economic activities for re­gional development. In the Shwe­kokko area, where the project was suspended, infrastructure was constructed within locations of the Myanmar Yatai Interna­tional Holding Group’s site and the Chongkhaed Garden Resort gambling facilities in Myawady Township. Within these areas, online fraud and gambling activ­ities were carried out.

 

The government, through a trilateral cooperation framework involving Myanmar, Thailand, and China, has been jointly sup­pressing activities in the area. Security forces carried out op­erations in the Myawady-Maeht­awthalay (KK Park) area, which had been temporarily controlled by the KNLA and KNU terrorist groups and PDF terrorists under the NUG, in October this year, to suppress insurgent elements and were able to reestablish control over the area. In doing so, meas­ures are being implemented to ensure that online fraud and gambling cannot be reestab­lished in the area and that crim­inal activities cannot be repeated. Illegally constructed buildings in the area are being demolished zone by zone to completely re­move such infrastructure. There are a total of 635 buildings across three zones. As of 17 November, a total of 148 of these buildings have been completely demolished. The remaining 487 buildings will con­tinue to be systematically demol­ished. The demolition process is being carried out methodically using vehicles for tearing down structures and advanced tech­nology for controlled blasting and dismantling. Since the area is close to a neighbouring country, precautions have been taken to ensure that debris does not cross the border, as confirmed by video records. Because the neighbour­ing country raised objections, the demolition video records were officially sent to that country as documentation.

 

Although those apprehend­ed by the government had en­tered Myanmar illegally from neighbouring countries, humani­tarian considerations and mutual goodwill between nations were taken into account. They were investigated according to the law and repatriated to their respec­tive countries. Between 5 Octo­ber 2023 and 17 November 2025, a total of 68,009 foreign nationals from 52 countries, who were re­siding in Myanmar illegally, were repatriated according to the reg­ulations of their respective coun­tries. Yesterday morning, during a combined inspection, teams including security forces and administrative bodies inspected the Shwekokko area. Meanwhile, some persons attempted escape to a neighbouring country, and measures are actively in place to intercept and apprehend any such attempts.

 

During yesterday’s oper­ation, a total of 346 foreigners under verification residing in Myanmar illegally were arrest­ed, and a large amount of neces­sary equipment used in online fraud and gambling was seized from three buildings illegally constructed in the Shwekokko area. The operation continues at present.

 

Those who committed online fraud and gambling took advan­tage of regions within Myanmar where territorial instability made it difficult for authorities respon­sible for law enforcement and administration to fully exercise control. They carried out crim­inal activities to seek personal profit. The areas they targeted, including the Myawady-Maeht­awthalay KK Park area, Shwe­kokko, and Chongkhaed region, are zones where KNLA and KNU terrorists, PDF terrorists, NCA-signatory Kayin armed groups, and border guard forc­es operate. The profit-seekers approached these armed groups using various methods and in­vested in infrastructure and oth­er developments in these areas. Moreover, essential resources for habitation, such as water, electricity, communications, and other infrastructure, were obtained from a neighbouring country. Currently, the opera­tions have been carried out in the KK Park area. Full security has been established in the Shwe kokko, Chongkhaed, and other areas with the involvement of se­curity forces, and investigations and operations will continue. Any online fraud and gambling activi­ties discovered will be effectively addressed and eradicated at the root.

 

The government is working in coordination with the interna­tional community to rigorously investigate, expose, and take decisive action against online fraud and gambling activities. As Acting President of the Re­public of the Union of Myanmar, Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has also given guidance to combat criminal activities utilizing the Myanmar territory in commit­ting crimes in neighbouring countries and internationally as a matter of national respon­sibility. During his recent visits to Kayin State and Mon State, meetings with relevant depart­ments and local communities confirmed that efforts are being made to suppress online fraud and gambling as a national duty. It was clearly stated that such activities will continue to be de­cisively eradicated.

 

The government will con­tinue to broadly suppress online fraud and gambling activities within the country. On 14 No­vember 2025, at a joint meeting held in Kunming, China, attend­ed by China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, participating countries, regional nations, and relevant regional organizations agreed to coop­erate in effectively preventing and suppressing online fraud activities. The government also urges citizens to treat the re­porting of information related to online fraud and gambling as a national responsibility and to actively provide such informa­tion to the relevant authorities to help jointly combat these crimes. — MNA/TTA