Myanmar junta says raided online scam centre, arrested over 300

FILE PHOTO: Members of the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) carry out an inspection at a work place during a crackdown operation on illicit activity linked to scam centres in Shwe Kokko in Myanmar's eastern Myawaddy township on February 18, 2025. Myanmar's military said it raided the internet scam hub of Shwe Kokko on the Thai border, arresting nearly 350 people, part of a highly publicised crackdown against the booming black market compounds. - AFP

YANGON: Myanmar's military said Wednesday (Nov 19) it raided an internet scam hub on the Thai border, arresting nearly 350 people, part of a highly publicised crackdown against the booming black market compounds.

Sprawling fraud factories have ballooned in war-torn Myanmar's border regions, housing scammers targeting internet users with romance and business cons worth tens of billions of dollars annually.