MAE SOT – Thousands of suspected foreign fraudsters gathered on the banks of the Moei River and tried to cross into Mae Sot, Thailand, after KNU troops took control of a Myanmar military zone, seizing a major online scam headquarters, and releasing foreign workers without any conditions.
More than 1,000 foreigners, believed to be part of online scam and call centre gangs, gathered on the Myanmar side of the Moei River near Min La Pan village, Myawaddy township, Kayin State. The area lies opposite Ban Huai Maha Wong, Village 9, Mahawan sub-district, Mae Sot district, Tak province. The incident took place late at night on 25 November.
Initial reports said these people fled from a Chinese economic development zone in Myawaddy, long known as a base for large-scale online fraud and call centre operations. They tried to cross the Moei River into Thailand, but because it was very late at night and there were no boats available, they ended up sleeping along the riverbank.
Soldiers from the Ratchamanu Special Task Force in Mae Sot, together with Border Patrol Police from the Naresuan Task Force, Border Patrol Police Company 346 in Mae Sot, and local government officers, monitored the area through the night. They aimed to prevent the foreign group from entering Thailand illegally.
This border zone is known as a hideout for online scam operations. It recently became a conflict area when fighting broke out between the Karen National Union (KNU) 6th Brigade and Myanmar army troops from Division 22.
Karen forces then took control of the DKBA area, which had been used as a base for online fraud and had supported the Myanmar military in its clashes with the KNU. After gaining control, the KNU released all foreign nationals who had been working in the special economic zone.
During the KNU control, many Chinese nationals living in the scam compound were unhappy and tried to protest against the KNU soldiers in front of the buildings. The situation escalated, leading to gunfire and rioting, and several people were injured.
In recent days, KNU troops have burned several office buildings used by the scam gangs, targeting the centres where the online fraud operations had been run.
Chinese-run scam networks have taken deep root in Myanmar’s Kayin State, especially in border areas such as Myawaddy, where chaos from the civil war and the collapse of junta control has created the perfect cover for crime.
From giant compounds like Shwe Kokko and KK Park, these groups recruit thousands of people from more than 50 countries, including China, India, and many Southeast Asian states, by advertising fake job offers. Once there, the victims are trapped and forced to work in online fraud operations.
Inside these compounds, trafficked workers are pushed into running romance scams, cryptocurrency swindles, and fake investment schemes that bring in billions each year. Many of the syndicates operate with protection from local armed groups, such as the Karen Border Guard Force, which gives them the space to abuse people with almost no consequences.
Reports from survivors describe extreme mistreatment, including beatings, electric shocks, and even cases of organ harvesting. As pressure grows in some parts of Kayin State, the gangs have started shifting operations to more remote, rebel-held areas, such as Payathonzu township, to dodge raids and arrests.
Authorities have carried out occasional crackdowns, including the deportation of more than 900 Chinese nationals in late 2025, and governments like China and Thailand have tried to push back against the trade.
Even so, the scam operations remain active and keep expanding, driving a severe humanitarian crisis across Southeast Asia, with an estimated 150,000 people trafficked into forced online fraud and related abuse.
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