Myanmar junta says raided scam compound, seized 30 Starlink receivers

Yangon: Myanmar’s junta raided one of the country’s most notorious internet scam centres and seized Starlink devices, it said Monday, after an AFP investigation revealed an explosion in their use in the billion-dollar black market.

Internet sweat shops where workers scam unsuspecting foreigners with business or romance schemes have thrived in war-ravaged Myanmar’s lawless border regions since the coronavirus pandemic.

A transnational push by Thai, Chinese and Myanmar authorities starting in February resulted in a huge crackdown releasing around 7,000 workers, many who say they were trafficked to work in the fortified compounds.