Recently, the scam syndicates in the Myawaddy Garden area of Myanmar have once again attracted widespread attention due to the kidnapping of Chinese actors and models.
It is reported that these groups have started using Starlink satellite internet services provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX to avoid crackdowns through internet and power outages, significantly increasing the difficulty of law enforcement.
According to reports, China has successfully eradicated some of the telecom fraud hubs located in northern Myanmar and along the China-Myanmar border in recent years. However, areas far from the border, such as Myawaddy, Danyang, and Wanhai, still experience telecom fraud activities, with many Chinese citizens trapped. The fraud groups use Starlink devices to bypass local internet shutdown measures and are also equipped with small fuel generators to further enhance their ability to resist law enforcement.
Bao Zhipeng, assistant researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the China Institute of International Studies, stated that since 2023, the joint law enforcement actions by China, Thailand, and Myanmar have achieved certain results. However, the telecom fraud groups in northern Myanmar have gradually expanded their activities from Kokang, Wa State, and Shan State Special Region 4 to inland Myanmar and the Thai-Myanmar border, and even infiltrated the Middle East.
Bao Zhipeng pointed out that as law enforcement agencies adopt internet shutdown measures to crack down on fraud hubs, some criminal groups have turned to using Starlink devices to maintain communication and operations.
The application of this high-tech method has limited the effectiveness of traditional internet and power outage crackdowns. He added, "These groups have even started to flow back to remote areas in countries like Thailand and Cambodia, increasing the complexity of cross-border crackdowns."
Currently, some gardens in Myawaddy are still expanding. Local criminal gangs not only rely on Starlink technology but also have stocked small fuel-powered generators to ensure the continuity of their fraudulent activities. This technological and equipment upgrade poses new challenges for law enforcement actions.
Experts call for China, Thailand, and Myanmar to further strengthen intelligence sharing and technical cooperation, and jointly develop technological means to counter the new resistance methods of fraud groups. Additionally, efforts should be accelerated to rescue trapped individuals to reduce the dependency of these hubs on human resources and weaken their operational capabilities.
Although telecom fraud activities in some parts of northern Myanmar have been suppressed, the new strategies and technological upgrades of fraud groups still pose significant challenges to transnational law enforcement actions. Relevant countries need to act together to cut off the technical support and economic sources of the fraud hubs.
