The influx of individuals fleeing Myanmar into Thailand has significantly decreased following the shutdown of a major cybercrime hub in Myanmar, according to a Thai regional army commander. Over the past week, more than 1,500 people had crossed the border, but the numbers have now dwindled to a mere trickle. The KK Park site, identified by Thai officials and independent experts as a center for cybercrime, was raided by Myanmar’s military in mid-October as part of broader operations to curb cross-border online scams and illegal gambling. Located near Myawaddy, a key trading town on the Myanmar-Thailand border, the area is only partially controlled by Myanmar’s military government, with significant influence from a local Karen ethnic militia operating as a Border Guard Force. Witnesses on the Thai side reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke emanating from the site over several nights, with parts of KK Park reportedly demolished by Myanmar’s military and its allies. The debris from these explosions caused damage to several houses on the Thai side of the border. Maj. Gen. Maitree Chupreecha, commander of the Thai army’s Naresuan Task Force, stated that 25 individuals from four nations crossed into Thailand on Tuesday, though their nationalities were not disclosed. Most of those fleeing are believed to have been forced laborers at the cybercrime center. Thai authorities in Tak province have established temporary shelters for the refugees, who hail from 28 countries, including Thailand, India, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Ethiopia, and Kenya. They are being processed to determine if they were victims of human trafficking before being repatriated. Myanmar has gained notoriety for hosting cybercrime operations that lure workers from other countries under false pretenses, promising legitimate jobs only to hold them captive and force them into criminal activities. Despite the raid on KK Park, independent media reports indicate that online scams continue to operate in the Myawaddy area. Cambodia is another major hub for such operations, drawing international attention recently when the U.S. and U.K. imposed sanctions on a Cambodian cyberscam gang, and its alleged leader was indicted by a U.S. federal court in New York.
Stragglers from Myanmar scam center raided by army cross into Thailand as buildings are blown up
