Security operations in KK Park, Shwe Kokko and Kyauk Khet areas to combat online scams

Tatmadaw columns, working together with the Myanmar Police Force and local authorities, are conducting security and area-control operations in KK Park, Shwe Kokko and the Kyauk Khet area in Myawady, where online scam and illegal gambling operations have been reported. Armed groups including the KNU, KNLA, DKBA and PDF groups had controlled roads and provided protection and land to illegal online scam businesses. These activities had disrupted trade, damaged infrastructure and affected local communities. In KK Park, 1,282 foreign nationals were arrested and 635 buildings linked to online gambling and scam operations were demolished. In Shwe Kokko, 2,075 foreign nationals were arrested and 77 buildings demolished. In the Kyauk Khet area, security forces reported seizing several scam sites, arresting 777 people, including foreign nationals, and confiscating hundreds of phones and other computer equipment. Authorities also reported clashes with armed groups protecting the scam operations. Some foreign nationals involved in the scam businesses had entered Myanmar illegally, while others may have been trafficked or recruited through social media. The government will continue working with neighboring countries and local communities to crack down on online scams and illegal gambling, and urged the public to report information about such activities.