Myanmar Military Raids KK Compound and Seizes 30 Starlink Sets, Massive Expansion Continues

On the 20th, Myanmar’s military government announced a raid on one of the country's most notorious online scam centers, seizing 30 units of Starlink satellite internet equipment.

Earlier investigative reports by AFP revealed that after transnational crackdowns, the scam compounds were using Starlink devices—owned by Elon Musk’s company—to bypass regulations and accelerate expansion.

According to Myanmar’s state media, the “Myanmar Global New Light” newspaper, the military carried out an operation at the KK Compound near the Thai-Myanmar border, seizing 30 Starlink receivers and accessories. The military occupied around 200 buildings and found nearly 2,200 staff at the scene.

According to AFP, since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, online scam centers defrauding foreigners through business or romance scams have been thriving in Myanmar’s border regions. Since February this year, a joint crackdown by authorities from Thailand, China, and Myanmar has freed about 7,000 workers, many of whom claimed they had been trafficked to work in these heavily guarded compounds.

However, AFP’s investigation this month revealed that there is brisk new construction at the scam center locations, with rooftop devices using Starlink satellite internet service. According to data from the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), before the large-scale sweep in February, Starlink—which is not licensed in Myanmar—had so little traffic it didn’t even register among the country’s network providers. But from July 3 to October 1, Starlink’s traffic led the charts every day.

Meanwhile, satellite images show that among approximately 27 scam centers stretching along the winding Moei River on the Thai-Myanmar border, many places have new office and dormitory buildings springing up.