THAILAND – SpaceX cut internet access to vast scam operations in Myanmar by deactivating more than 2,500 Starlink receivers as the country’s military mounted large-scale raids on alleged fraud centres, triggering scenes of panic and mass flight near the Thai border.
Starlink devices disabled in coordinated move
SpaceX’s satellite internet arm took the unusual step of turning off thousands of terminals inside Myanmar as authorities moved against criminal networks that have been running online fraud operations across the country. “We acted proactively,” said Lauren Dreyer, a vice president at Starlink, as the company sought to prevent its service from being used to sustain illegal activity.
The shutdown removed a vital connectivity option for remote and urban locations alike. Starlink had become a primary internet provider in parts of Myanmar because its satellite network can reach areas that lack reliable wired infrastructure. Critics and investigators, including US officials, have since pressed to understand how the terminals ended up in the hands of organised criminal groups and whether enough safeguards were in place.
Raids sparked mass departures from scam centre
The deactivation coincided with dramatic scenes at KK Park, one of the largest known scam compounds near the Thai border, where hundreds of people fled on foot, by motorcycle and in overloaded minibuses when soldiers arrived.
A worker at the site recounted the moment of the raid: “Around 10 a.m. soldiers came with four trucks.” The fear of arrest or retaliation drove many to abandon possessions and hastily leave the camp, witnesses said.
Local media and social posts showed chaotic departures as residents, workers and suspected perpetrators attempted to escape a sweeping law enforcement operation.
Military reported large-scale seizures and arrests
Myanmar’s military government said it had searched about 200 buildings and encountered more than 2,200 people during separate raids. State-run outlet The Global New Light of Myanmar reported that dozens of Starlink devices were seized and that 15 people suspected of being Chinese nationals involved in fraud were arrested.
The junta has periodically announced crackdowns on fraud rings, presenting them as part of broader efforts to restore order. Observers noted that while operations were significant, scepticism remains about the consistency and intent of the military’s actions.
Scam centres are big business and a humanitarian crisis
Fraud operations have become a lucrative industry in parts of Southeast Asia, particularly in border regions where state control is weak. United Nations figures show the scale of the problem: online scams caused roughly 32 billion euros in damage across the region in 2023, and at least 120,000 people were estimated to be working in Myanmar’s scam centres, many of them victims of coercion and exploitation.
Survivors and detainees have described being lured with false job offers, having their passports confiscated and being forced into illegal activities under threat or physical abuse. Humanitarian groups say the centres combine organised crime with human trafficking and labour exploitation, creating a complex challenge for regional governments.
Regional pressure grows as China demands protection for its citizens
China has intensified pressure on Myanmar’s military after reports that many Chinese nationals were employed in or trafficked into scam compounds. Authorities in Beijing have pushed for tougher action after earlier raids freed thousands of foreign nationals from exploitative conditions in February.
The junta faces competing demands: it must respond to international and regional pressure to tackle criminal networks while managing relationships with powerful local militias and criminal actors that sometimes blurr lines with political interests.
Investigations and uncertain outcomes
US authorities have opened inquiries into how Starlink terminals were acquired by criminal groups and whether SpaceX’s controls were sufficient. Analysts say disabling satellite connections may disrupt operations temporarily, but long-term dismantling of transnational fraud networks will require sustained law enforcement cooperation, protection for victims and measures to stop the recruitment pipelines.
For now, thousands of people who worked at or were trapped in the scam camps remain displaced, and questions linger over how deeply criminal enterprises are embedded in border economies. Observers warned the military’s actions and the tech shutdown may have dealt a blow to scam networks, but the region’s wider social and criminal dynamics will determine whether the raids bring lasting change.