As Thailand cuts off electricity supply to Myanmar, stops oil exports, and shuts down the internet signal to Myanmar from 9 AM on February 5th, large-scale telecom fraud activities in the Myanmar border area have been severely hit.
The shortage of electricity has hindered the operation of scam bases in the Daqili area, with many casinos and hotels significantly reducing their nighttime lighting, making the entire region noticeably dimmer than before.
Despite emergency power purchases from Laos by the Daqili side, the Laotian government has reduced the power supply from 30 megawatts to 13 megawatts, further exacerbating the energy crisis. According to social media reports, from February 6th to 8th, Myanmar police and security forces in the Daqili area conducted joint operations to raid large-scale illegal gambling venues along the Mekong River and arrested a group of casino owners and employees.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies in surrounding towns have also begun to crack down on hidden online scam and gambling dens in the forests, successfully arresting dozens of suspects.
Due to limited energy supply, the scam groups’ generators are hard to start due to lack of fuel, and computer communication equipment cannot operate normally, significantly impacting scam activities.
It is reported that several criminal groups in the Daqili area have been forced to lay off staff, with over 100 employees dismissed, most of whom were employed by Chinese employers. Most of these unemployed personnel have returned to Mae Sai County in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand, along with Thais, trying to find other ways out.
Although the scam bases inside Myanmar have been severely damaged, criminal gangs may attempt to rebuild the scam network within Thailand. However, as Thai police have strengthened border law enforcement, especially in key areas such as Mae Sot County in Tak Province and Sajiao Province, any scammer attempting to relocate may face the risk of arrest.
Currently, the Thai government is closely monitoring the situation and strengthening cooperation with Myanmar, Laos, and other countries to continue combating cross-border criminal activities, in order to maintain regional security and stability.
