Myanmar Military Raids Shwe Kokko Scam Hub Arrests 346 in Crackdown

Myawaddy, Myanmar: In a dramatic move against the growing online fraud industry, Myanmar’s military conducted a large-scale raid on Shwe Kokko, a notorious internet scam hub on the Thai border, arresting nearly 350 people and seizing thousands of devices used in illegal gambling operations.

The operation, carried out on Tuesday morning, targeted the Yatai-controlled Shwe Kokko area in Karen State, which has become synonymous with online scams and gambling rings. According to state-run media The Global New Light of Myanmar, 346 foreign nationals were taken into custody during the raid, and approximately 10,000 mobile phones—used in online gambling operations—were confiscated.

Myanmar’s military blamed armed opposition groups for allowing these scam centres to operate under their protection. “These operations were allowed to flourish in areas under opposition control, but now that we have restored territorial control, we have acted decisively,” military spokespersons said.

The Yatai company, led by Chinese-Cambodian businessman She Zhijiang, has been a key figure in the Shwe Kokko scam network. She, previously arrested in Thailand in 2022, was recently extradited to China to face allegations related to online gambling and fraud. His company had already been sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom for involvement in such illicit activities.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the borderlands connecting Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia have become fertile grounds for online scams, generating billions of dollars in revenue. Many of these operations involve coerced labor, with victims trafficked from abroad to work in scam compounds under harsh conditions, according to the United Nations.

Observers note that Myanmar’s military has long been accused of turning a blind eye to these activities. However, the recent crackdown follows pressure from China, the military government’s key ally, to address the issue while limiting financial losses for militia-linked profiteers.

This is not the first major raid by Myanmar’s forces. In October, over 2,000 individuals were arrested at KK Park, another infamous scam centre along the Thai border. In September, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned more than 20 companies and individuals in Myanmar and Cambodia for their alleged roles in online scams, highlighting the international dimension of these operations.

Analysts warn that Myanmar’s loosely governed borderlands, plagued by ongoing civil conflict since the 2021 military coup, continue to provide fertile ground for online scams. These operations not only exploit vulnerable populations but also destabilize the region, attracting global attention and international sanctions.

As authorities continue their crackdown, the recent Shwe Kokko raid signals Myanmar’s attempt to reassert control over its borders, combat human trafficking, and curb one of the region’s most lucrative illegal industries. The world now watches closely to see whether this effort marks a lasting shift or merely a temporary show of force.