Telecom Fraud, Online Gambling: Efforts to combat online fraud and gambling intensified

The Government of Myanmar is prioritizing the crackdown on online fraud and online gambling, which endanger the international community and the entire world, as a national duty. Security force members and administrative organizations are collaborating in this fight, investing their lives, blood, sweat, vehicles, machinery, and substantial financial resources.

In the ongoing efforts to combat these online fraud and gambling activities, the State Government has directed that there be no commission of online fraud, online gambling, and other crimes within the Shwe Kokko area of Kayin State. Starting in the morning on November 18, joint inspection teams comprising security force members, administrative organizations, and multi-stakeholder groups have begun clearance operations to verify compliance and implementation on the ground and to identify any illegal activities.

Effective action will be taken based on the findings. Perpetrators of online fraud and gambling enter Myanmar illegally by transiting through neighboring countries, including Thailand, via border routes. They then commit online fraud, online gambling, and other crimes.

The primary leaders of these online fraud and gambling activities are mainly Chinese nationals, along with victims of human trafficking who were lured through social media with various incentives and became involved in online fraud operations while seeking work from multiple countries, as well as fugitives evading justice for criminal offenses.

They began operating in some Southeast Asian countries around 2015 and, following conflicts in some neighboring countries, subsequently entered the Myawaddy area in southeastern Myanmar, temporarily controlled by Karen armed groups, through a neighboring country using various methods and routes.

In Myanmar, during 2022, infrastructure was built in the Laukkai area of Shan State (north), and online fraud, gambling, and other illegal activities were conducted. In response, the Myanmar Government formed a bilateral Task Force with China to collaboratively suppress the online fraud and gambling activities in the Laukkai area.

These online fraud and gambling activities later moved from Shan State (north) to the Myawaddy area on the Thai-Myanmar border. Under the pretext of conducting business for regional development, a project was established, including in the KK Park area initiated by Mula-i Alin Company and Tran-Asia International Holding Group (Thailand).

Infrastructure was constructed within areas such as the suspended Shwe Kokko project area, the site of the Myanmar Yatai International Holding Group Company, and gambling dens in Chongkhaed Garden Resort, Kyaukkat village, Myawaddy Township, to commit online fraud and gambling.

The State Government is suppressing these activities through Trilateral Cooperation involving Myanmar, Thailand, and China. In October of last year, security forces conducted clearance operations using counter-terrorism measures in the Myawaddy-Mae Htaw Tha Lay (KK Park) area, temporarily dominated by the KNLA, KNU armed terrorist groups, and PDF terrorist members under the NUG, and have successfully established control over the area.

To prevent the resurgence of online fraud and gambling activities and other criminal operations in this region, illegally constructed buildings are being completely demolished and razed zone by zone. There are a total of 635 buildings across 3 zones.

As of November 17, 148 buildings have been 100% demolished. The remaining 487 buildings will continue to be cleared and demolished. The demolition is being carried out systematically using machinery and by employing advanced technological methods, including controlled explosive demolition.

Due to the proximity to a neighboring country, measures have been taken systematically to ensure that debris from the buildings does not fall into the territory of the neighboring country, as evidenced by video records. Because the neighboring country had raised objections, video records of the explosive demolitions have also been officially submitted to that country as formal documentation.

The State Government will continue to extensively suppress online fraud and gambling crimes within Myanmar. Furthermore, it will effectively prevent and suppress these crimes in collaboration with the countries participating in the Online Fraud Cooperation Crackdown Meeting held in Kunming, People's Republic of China, on November 14, 2025, which included China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, as well as with regional countries and regional organizations.

The public is also urged, if they obtain any information related to online fraud and gambling crimes, to report it to the relevant authorities, accepting it as a national duty to jointly participate in the fight against online fraud and gambling crimes