In recent months, the Myanmar government launched an operation targeting two large online scam centers, KK Park and Shwe Kokko, located in Myawaddy town, near the Thai border. This initiative resulted in the arrest of thousands of foreign nationals.

Major General Aung Kyaw Kyaw, deputy minister of Home Affairs, stated at a press conference in Yangon on 14/12 that authorities have arrested a total of 13,272 foreign nationals from 47 countries since january. While most have been deported, 1,655 individuals remain in detention.

Individuals discovered at scam centers during a raid on a complex in Myawaddy, eastern Myanmar, on 26/2. *Photo: AFP*.

Colonel Min Thu Kyaw, head of the Kayin State Security and Border Affairs Agency and commander of the operation, reported that Myanmar authorities are encountering difficulties managing the arrested individuals. "They have diverse nationalities, religions, moral standards, and personalities. We hope the international community will step in and bring them home. It would be more convenient if repatriation occurs as soon as possible", Min Thu Kyaw said.

He noted that while awaiting deportation, most foreign nationals are held in sports facilities, government agency headquarters, and converted scam complexes. Among these, Chinese nationals are the most numerous, with over 500 individuals. The remaining detainees originate from Southeast Asian countries, Ethiopia, Kenya, and India, with each group numbering between 100 and 300 people.

Most deportation delays involve citizens from African countries without embassies in Myanmar or Thailand. This situation extends the repatriation process to up to 5 months for some cases.

Myanmar state television recently broadcast a series of videos detailing the crackdown on scam centers in Myawaddy. The footage showed officials using bulldozers and explosives to demolish buildings used by scam criminals. Authorities announced plans to destroy an additional 63-64 similar buildings in the next few months, following the arrest of thousands in the area. However, observers warn that the operation failed to apprehend the masterminds, who could potentially continue their online scam activities elsewhere.

Duc Trung (According to AP, Bangkok Post)