JAKARTA - The Myanmar military said on Wednesday, November 19, it had arrested 346 people in a raid on an online fraud headquarters on the Thai border.
According to a report by state media outlet The Global New Light of Myanmar, as reported by AFP, the Myanmar military raided the Shwe Kokko online gambling and scam center on Tuesday morning, November 18.
"During the operation, 346 foreign nationals, who are currently under investigation, were arrested," the media report stated.
"Nearly 10,000 mobile phones used in the online gambling operation were also confiscated," it added.
Many online scam companies have mushroomed along the Myanmar-Thailand border.
The region harbors online scammers who target internet users worldwide through romance scams, with profits estimated to reach tens of billions of dollars annually.
The Myanmar junta has long been accused of turning a blind eye. However, since February 2025, the Myanmar junta has announced a crackdown by raiding online scam headquarters after lobbying its main military backer, China.
According to some observers, the continued raids that began last month are part of Myanmar's propaganda efforts, designed to relieve pressure from China without unduly harming the profits enriching the junta's militia allies.
Since a coup sparked a civil war in Myanmar in 2021, Myanmar's loosely governed border region has proven fertile ground for fraudulent schemes, which analysts say are staffed by thousands of volunteer workers and people trafficked from abroad.
However, China, a backer of the Myanmar junta's military, has become increasingly angry recently because many of its citizens have become both perpetrators and victims of fraud.
The Myanmar junta today blamed armed opposition groups, claiming they allowed the fraudulent schemes to operate under opposition cover. However, the junta said it had taken action after regaining territorial control.
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