Following a series of strong anti-telecom fraud actions in Thailand, Laos has also announced that it will take emergency measures to completely eradicate all scam group activities in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone by 2025. This decision once again highlights the determination of Southeast Asian countries to jointly address the issue of cross-border telecom fraud.
It is reported that at the telecom fraud crackdown meeting, Lao law enforcement units detailed the telecom fraud cases in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone over the past three years.
The meeting revealed that from 2022 to 2024, Laos discovered 306 telecom fraud gangs, involving up to 15,970 people, including 6,120 Lao nationals and 9,868 foreigners. This data reveals the severity of transnational scam activities in the Golden Triangle area and also reflects the region's increasing role as a hotbed for scam crimes.
The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone is a special area at the junction of Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. Due to its geographical location and complex political situation, it has become a hub for various illegal activities, especially telecom fraud. Scam groups often use the cross-border convenience of this area for recruiting personnel, transporting equipment, and transferring funds, and most criminal activities are led by foreign gangs.
The Lao government stated that with the popularization of electronic payments and network communications, scam methods have become increasingly sophisticated and covert, leading many people, especially the elderly and minors, to become victims.
To address this increasingly severe challenge, the Lao government plans to strengthen cooperation with Thailand and Myanmar to jointly combat these cross-border criminal groups. Lao law enforcement will also increase personnel, enhance monitoring of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, strengthen security measures in border areas, and work closely with international organizations such as Interpol to combat these cross-border criminal activities.
The Lao government emphasized that to eradicate telecom fraud, a social scourge, efforts from a single country are far from enough. Cross-national cooperation, information sharing, and joint law enforcement have become key to solving this problem. Therefore, Laos will actively promote tripartite cooperation, aiming to completely eliminate scam group activities in the Golden Triangle area by 2025, ensuring social security and stability.
At this meeting, the Lao government also announced a specific plan to combat scam groups, including intensifying efforts to crack down on telecom fraud activities and implementing a series of measures such as strengthening network security protection, conducting anti-scam education, and establishing dedicated reporting channels. These measures not only help combat crime but also effectively raise public awareness of telecom fraud, reducing the number of victims.
