India should remain vigilant after Myanmar’s crackdown on cyber scam hubs
New Delhi: Amid the massive crackdown on cybercriminals in Myanmar, India needs to remain vigilant about numerous cyber scam centres in China-Myanmar border areas that target its citizens, according to a report.
The scam hubs in Kayin State, the Wa region, and the China-Myanmar border areas, where the central government’s reach is limited, lure victims with fake online job postings, confiscate passports, and force them to conduct fraudulent cryptocurrency and romance scams targeting victims worldwide, according to the report in India Narrative
“New Delhi, Beijing, and Bangkok have all demanded that Naypyidaw take action after hundreds of their citizens were trafficked into scam operations,” the report mentioned.
According to reports, a statement by Myanmar’s military information ministry said its forces had “cleared” KK Park, a synonymous with online fraud, money laundering and human trafficking for the past five years.
More than 2,000 people were detained, and around 30 Starlink satellite terminals used to maintain communications networks for scam operations were seized.
For India, these cyber hubs have become a mounting concern.
In March this year, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that almost 300 nationals had been rescued from cyber-scam compounds in Southeast Asia, including in Myanmar. According to reports, up to 540 individuals were repatriated in a subsequent phase via Thailand.
Notably, a hybrid form of governance, blending armed-group control, corruption, and foreign criminal investment, has turned Kayin State into a cybercrime haven.
“For the Myanmar junta, the KK Park raid signals to neighbouring countries that it can enforce border security and control hybrid criminal-militia activities,” the report noted.
However, the challenges remain as the networks behind these compounds are deeply embedded in cross-border trafficking and crypto-fraud.
According to media reports, more than 5,400 Chinese suspects involved in telecom fraud in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been repatriated in a joint crackdown on cross-border telecom fraud launched by China, Myanmar, and Thailand since the beginning of 2025.