Myanmar’s junta announced Monday (October 20) it had conducted a raid on KK Park, one of the nation's most infamous cyberscam compounds, seizing satellite internet equipment. The operation comes just after an AFP investigation revealed that Elon Musk's Starlink service was being used extensively to keep the multibillion-dollar scam industry online.

State media reported that troops hit the park, located near the Myanmar-Thai border, and "seized 30 sets of Starlink receivers and accessories."

However, that number pales in comparison to what journalists found. The recent AFP report, using satellite and drone imagery, identified nearly 80 Starlink dishes on the roof of just one building in KK Park, suggesting the 30 units seized are only a fraction of the equipment in use.

The scam centers, which often force workers to run romance or investment cons on foreigners, have flourished in Myanmar's lawless border regions. They turned to Starlink after a regional crackdown in February attempted to disrupt their operations.

Starlink, which is not licensed in Myanmar, topped the country's internet traffic charts daily from early July to October, according to data from APNIC. The service's role in powering these criminal hubs has now prompted the US Congress Joint Economic Committee to open an investigation.

During the raid, the junta also stated its troops occupied 200 buildings, found nearly 2,200 workers, and arrested 15 Chinese nationals for "online gambling, online fraud and other criminal activities."

These scam operations are a key part of a massive black-market economy that also includes drug production, helping to fund various armed groups in Myanmar's ongoing civil war. According to a UN report, these centers conned victims out of an estimated $37 billion in Southeast Asia in 2023.

Despite international pressure, particularly from China, the industry shows few signs of slowing down. Satellite images confirm that new office and dormitory blocks are still being constructed at scam centers along the border, indicating the business remains resilient.

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