News of strong enforcement again comes from the Thai-Myanmar border—28 foreign nationals were deported from Myawaddy in Myanmar's Karen State, a notorious hub for scam operations. Among them, 21 are from the Philippines and 7 from Nepal, all suspected of involvement in local transnational cyber scam groups.
Since the beginning of 2025, Thailand and Myanmar have jointly launched continuous joint crackdowns and humanitarian rescue operations targeting the Myawaddy scam parks. In just over four months, about 9,200 controlled foreign nationals have been successfully repatriated, with victims from the Philippines, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, and other countries, demonstrating the extensive reach and cross-border harm of this scam network.
Myawaddy has long been dubbed the "Scam Factory of Southeast Asia." The park not only houses numerous cyber scam operations but also illegally detains a large number of foreign nationals. These individuals are often lured under the guise of job recruitment or overseas travel scams, then deprived of their freedom and forced to participate in telecom and financial fraud targeting victims worldwide. The criminal organizations operate in a highly systematic manner, illegally profiting billions, severely impacting international finance and social order.
Although the crackdown has achieved phased results, due to the complex terrain of the border area, some scam parks have not been completely eradicated, and the remnants of the scam network remain active. Thai border security agencies call for continued high vigilance and enhanced public awareness of fraud prevention to prevent more people from falling into traps.
According to reliable sources, thousands of foreign nationals are still stranded in the park waiting for further rescue. The current crackdown has entered a deep phase, complicating law enforcement and keeping the situation very tense. With the international community's continued attention to the situation in the region, the thorough rectification of Myawaddy is becoming a key battle in Southeast Asia's fight against cross-border cybercrime.
