NDSC says territory clearing underway as online scam eradication efforts intensify in Myawady

Speaking about ongoing crackdowns on online scams and illegal online gambling in the Myawady region in Kayin State, as well as cooperation with international partners, Maj Gen Zaw Min Tun reiterated that these operations are being carried out in areas where authorities have regained control.

“We have begun anti–online gambling operations in the parts of Myawady and surrounding areas that we can secure. As stability improves, we’ve been conducting territorial control and clearance measures, and at the same time, taking action to completely eradicate online scam networks. In these operations, our security forces, soldiers, and officials have shed their blood, sweat, and even risked their lives,” he said.

He added that authorities have inspected foreigners who had unlawfully entered the region and released some inspection records to the media and the public. These records, he said, clearly show where these individuals came from and what activities they were engaged in.

Regarding building demolitions, he said the neighbouring country had raised concerns that debris might fall into their territory. “We have video records showing that nothing fell across the border. This building inside KK Park collapsed straight down because we used advanced demolition methods. Even the nearby trees didn’t shake,” he said.

He also stated that a hotel located right beside the border had been demolished. Video evidence showed that no debris fell into the river marking the border. Clearance and demolition operations continue.

Maj Gen Zaw Min Tun said that on the morning of November 18, joint teams of security forces entered the Shwe Kokko area north of Myawady. They first cleared three illegally constructed buildings. From these sites, 346 foreign nationals were detained, nearly 10,000 mobile phones used for online gambling were seized, along with other related materials. Attempts by some suspects to flee across the border were blocked.

He said three main scam-linked zones exist in the area: KK Park, Shwe Kokko, and Kyauk Khat. KK Park is south of Myawady, Shwe Kokko is to the north, and Kyuak Khat is also in the southern sector.

He reiterated earlier statements describing who had been involved in these zones, including evidence of past agreements with individuals from the KNU and how operations had been conducted.

According to him, Mu La Ei Ah Lin Company and Tran-Asia International Holding Group (Thailand) were involved in KK Park; Myanmar Yatai International Holding Group operated in Shwe Kokko; and Chongkhaed Garden Resort Company was involved in Kyaung Khat. He explained how foreign workers arrived and took part in online scamming and gambling activities.

“About 99.5% of the foreigners involved in online scams came into Myanmar through the neighbouring country,” he said, adding that after 2021 clashes, EAOs—including the KNU and KNLA, some NCA signatories, and border-guard-type groups—had operated in remote areas near Myawady. Businesspeople then approached these groups and collaborated with them to run illegal operations.

He also referred to a November 12 US announcement about forming the District of Columbia Scam Centre Strike Force to protect the US from online scams originating from Southeast Asia, including cryptocurrency-related fraud. He noted wording referencing “transnational Chinese criminal organisations (TCOs)” and allegations that scam centres enrich Chinese crime groups.

He said the announcement also mentioned that “Strike Force Burma” had conducted operations against two scam centres in Myanmar, though he stated no such activities had been observed on the ground. Another part mentioned FBI agents sent to Bangkok to coordinate with the Royal Thai Police War Room Task Force on efforts targeting places like KK Park.

He suggested that these details pointed to a “hidden agenda deeper than simple anti-scam efforts.”

He added that Myanmar and China had already formed a joint task force to combat online scams and gambling in Laukkai, and Myanmar, Thailand, and China had formed a trilateral cooperation mechanism for Myawady.

Myanmar also participated in a six-nation anti-online-scam meeting—China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam—held in Kunming on November 14, 2025.

Major General Zaw Min Tun said online scams and illegal gambling did not harm Myanmar alone, but victims worldwide.

He said Acting President and Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing had instructed all agencies to decisively eradicate online scam and gambling networks as a national duty. The issue has also been publicly addressed in nationwide meetings.

Therefore, he urged all Myanmar citizens and media outlets to report any information related to online scams and illegal gambling. The government, he said, will cooperate with regional partners and international task forces to eliminate these activities from Myanmar’s territory.

Eleven Media

Asia News Network