Starlink Dishes Seized in Myanmar Scam Centre Crackdown

MWD

Myanmar’s military junta claims to have seized 30 Starlink satellite internet receivers during a raid on KK Park, a notorious scam hub near the Thai border, as part of a wider crackdown on cybercrime operations plaguing Southeast Asia.

The raid, reported by state media, revealed 2,200 workers and 200 buildings linked to online fraud, gambling and other illicit activities. Fifteen Chinese nationals were arrested, accused of running scams that exploit foreign victims through romance and business schemes. These centres have flourished in Myanmar’s lawless borderlands since the pandemic shuttered casinos, with some workers trafficked and others lured by high pay.

While the junta touts the seizure of Starlink equipment, satellite imagery reviewed by AFP suggests the scale is far greater. One building alone showed nearly 80 dishes installed. Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is not licensed in Myanmar but topped internet traffic rankings from July to October, according to APNIC data.

The US Congress Joint Economic Committee has launched an inquiry into Starlink’s role, though it cannot compel Musk to testify. SpaceX has yet to comment.

These scam centres, often run by Chinese syndicates and backed by Myanmar militias, are a lucrative part of the country’s black market economy—alongside drugs and mining—fuelled by the civil war that followed the 2021 coup. International pressure, especially from China, has prompted regional crackdowns. In February, thousands of suspected scammers were repatriated, and last week Cambodia deported 64 South Koreans linked to similar operations.

Despite arrests and raids, construction continues apace. Drone footage shows new dormitories and offices rising along the Moei River, where an estimated 27 scam compounds operate. Experts warn that while some workers are trafficked, others join willingly, drawn by the promise of large payouts.

Beijing says it has arrested over 57,000 Chinese nationals in its cross-border fraud crackdown, underscoring the scale of the problem—and the challenge of dismantling these digital sweatshops.

-2025-10-21