{"id":5943,"date":"2025-04-02T12:26:33","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T12:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/02\/global-scam-industry-evolving-at-unprecedented-scale-despite-recent-crackdown\/"},"modified":"2025-04-02T12:26:33","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T12:26:33","slug":"global-scam-industry-evolving-at-unprecedented-scale-despite-recent-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/02\/global-scam-industry-evolving-at-unprecedented-scale-despite-recent-crackdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Global scam industry evolving at \u2018unprecedented scale\u2019 despite recent crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdsalz003m2cp3302w54df@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Hundreds of men and women stand in rows, divided by nationality, in the courtyard of a white-walled compound, flanked by armed guards in fatigues.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz046000b3b6miic4mgmb@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The group were among around 7,000 people recently released from scam centers run by criminal gangs and warlords operating along Myanmar\u2019s border with Thailand, where many are held against their will and forced to work conning ordinary people, including American citizens, out of their life savings.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz046000c3b6mt02luk1u@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Some volunteer to work in the compounds. But many others are lured by promises of well-paying jobs or other enticing opportunities, before being trafficked across the border into Myanmar to carry out fraudulent investment schemes and romance scams.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz046000d3b6m52wskbik@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            For years, the scam centers and cyber fraud compounds &#8211; many run by Chinese crime syndicates \u2013 have proliferated along the mountainous frontier, raking in billions of dollars from scams, money laundering and other illicit activities. The Chinese and Thai governments finally launched a highly publicized crackdown in February.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz046000e3b6mix1am9a8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Those included in the releases are a fraction of an estimated 100,000 people trapped along the border.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdsdq900003b6mfbd6tuma@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cBillions of dollars are being invested in these kinds of businesses,\u201d said Kannavee Suebsang, a Thai lawmaker leading his country\u2019s efforts to release those held in scam centers. \u201cThey [the scam syndicates] will not stop.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/interactive-video\/instances\/cm8fe327c002u3b6m4b7urs0i@published\" class=\"interactive-video\" data-component-name=\"interactive-video\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__container \">            <video class=\"interactive-video__player\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"\" playsinline=\"\"><\/video>        <\/div>\n<div class=\"interactive-video__metadata\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__caption\">                    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Hundreds of people freed from scam centers in KK Park in February, 2025.<\/span><figcaption class=\"interactive-video__credit\">CNN<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz82v000l3b6m6vq638tu@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The scam underworld, analysts say, is agile and professional, and is rapidly expanding cyber fraud operations through illicit online marketplaces to target new demographics of victims.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz82v000m3b6my4azo2xt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The syndicates have quickly adopted cryptocurrency and are investing in cutting-edge technological developments to move money more quickly, as well as making the scams more effective.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz82v000n3b6m42jwcjxv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Crime groups are using artificial intelligence to write scamming scripts and are exploiting increasingly realistic deepfake technology to create personas, pose as a love interests, and mask their identity, voice and gender.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz82v000o3b6mbuwamlrt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cFundamentally, this is a situation the region has never faced before,\u201d said John Wojcik, an organized crime analyst at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz82v000p3b6m910f9nqu@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt\u2019s clear that the evolving situation is trending towards something far more dangerous than scams alone \u2013 and rolling out at an unprecedented scale if left unchecked.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz82v000q3b6m3gzdcjpd@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            There is also evidence of Asian crime syndicates expanding into other parts of the world, with networks found in parts of Africa, South Asia, the Gulf, and the Pacific, according to the UNODC.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz82v000r3b6mfg3zhtbr@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThese syndicates are quickly maturing into more sophisticated cyber threat actors capable of deploying malware, deepfakes and other powerful tools, fuelled by the rise of new illicit online markets and crypto-based laundering services,\u201d said Wojick.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz82v000s3b6mbnv4mb1p@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The scale of the problem is too vast for one government or agency to combat. Experts say a global response is needed.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/interactive-video\/instances\/cm8fe3mua002w3b6ma3evoodk@published\" class=\"interactive-video\" data-component-name=\"interactive-video\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__container \">            <video class=\"interactive-video__player\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"\" playsinline=\"\"><\/video>        <\/div>\n<div class=\"interactive-video__metadata\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__caption\">                    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Inside KK Park in Myawaddy, Myanmar in February, 2025.<\/span><figcaption class=\"interactive-video__credit\">CNN<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cm8fdzc4i000u3b6m8xs0xm3x@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"scam-city\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Scam city<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdz6wd000j3b6mkl5kazl4@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The scam compounds in Myawaddy lie in territory controlled by two Myanmar ethnic militia groups, the Karen Border Guard Force and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA).    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdzlaw000z3b6mmj25kq2t@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            One such complex is KK Park, a sprawling, purpose-built city that experts say is dedicated to online gambling and cyber fraud.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdzlaw00103b6mziafwgb9@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Ringed by mountains and corn fields, the huge, heavily guarded compound of multi-story buildings and telecoms towers stands just inside the country\u2019s border with Thailand \u2013 a blot on the otherwise untouched landscape.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm8gqqqcg000h3b6mz54k8v8v@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"pull-quote__section\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">                    \u201cThey deceived many people, from South America, from North America, from Africa and Arabic-speaking countries.\u201d                <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">                    Kannavee Suebsang, Thai lawmaker                <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdzlaw00123b6mssw5zhce@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But in what looked like an office building, dozens of men were packed together in a whitewashed room, sitting or lying on duvets on the floor.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdzlaw00133b6mtmzg2kt9@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In a nearby courtyard, dozens more men and several women sit crouched in lines. Most wear masks to obscure their identities. Clothes and towels hang drying on overhead balconies.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdzlaw00143b6mhty1xstl@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The Border Guard Force militia had invited local journalists inside KK Park on a heavily restricted visit. Armed BGF soldiers carried semi-automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, as the media were escorted into a select few buildings.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdzlaw00153b6mj9p1jx8t@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The several hundred people inside are the recently released victims and workers of the scam compound, the BGF said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdzlaw00163b6mcfp8xurf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThey deceived many people, from South America, from North America, from Africa and Arabic-speaking countries,\u201d said Kannavee.    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cm8fdzqm900183b6mw0cnsqku@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"chinese-pressure\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Chinese pressure<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdzh18000x3b6m5p22f0z8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The armed groups agreed to help put a stop to illegal trafficking and scamming operations in their territories after pressure from Chinese and Thai authorities following the high-profile abduction of a Chinese actor to a scam center in Myawaddy earlier this year.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001d3b6myn9epgd1@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The compounds have operated for years, shielded by corruption and lawlessness that has long saturated Myanmar\u2019s border regions. But the criminal syndicates and the armed groups hosting them have exploited four years of devastating civil war to greatly expand their business.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001e3b6mvih0s1m2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Since seizing power in a coup in February 2021, Myanmar\u2019s military junta has waged a brutal war against its people. On multiple fronts, the military is fighting against resistance groups and long-established ethnic minority armed forces, which the opposition government says now control about 60% of the country.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm8gqfg9g00053b6ml4zisknu@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"pull-quote__section\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">                    \u201cThese armed groups have very direct relationships with the mafia.\u201d                <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">                    Jason Tower, United States Institute of Peace, Myanmar                <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001f3b6mjrw0fboo@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            More than $43 billion is lost to scams in Southeast Asia by regional crime groups a year \u2014 almost 40% of the combined gross domestic product of Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, according to the US Congress-founded United States Institute of Peace.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001g3b6m9typ294u@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Previous crackdowns in Myanmar meant the syndicates moved operations further into the country\u2019s interior or to major cities such as Yangon. And traffickers involved in bringing people into the centers became more sophisticated, experts say.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001h3b6mf6iz3g3c@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Even as thousands of people are being released in Myawaddy, there\u2019s continued illicit activity and ongoing recruitment inside.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001i3b6mlio01el2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThere is already indication of an ongoing partial displacement into other neighboring scam hubs in the region,\u201d said UNODC\u2019s Wojcik.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001j3b6mtwtu1exv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The BGF and militias are positioning themselves as helping to eradicate the scam centers in their territories, even leading press tours into the scam compounds.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001k3b6mm7q9jceg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But they are also accused of direct involvement in operations inside the centers and benefiting financially from them.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm8fenou500033b6mr3uev24e@published\" class=\"image_large image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"03-GettyImages-2201285734.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6625258799171843\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"2415\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/03-gettyimages-2201285734.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">A member of the Karen Border Guard Force guards alleged scam center workers, many of whom say they were trafficked and forced to work at the compound, during a crackdown operation on February 23.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm8fenup700053b6mub9wzanw@published\" class=\"image_large image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"04-GettyImages-2201285711.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"2400\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/04-gettyimages-2201285711.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Alleged scam center workers and victims stand together during the crackdown operation by the Karen Border Guard Force.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001l3b6mr46clk1x@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The BGF was one of the architects of the criminal hub in Myawaddy starting from 2016, when it rented land to Chinese syndicates, according to analysts, and business soared after the 2021 military coup.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001m3b6mwearrvep@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe Border Guard Force has shares in every single one of these projects, and that\u2019s the mainstay of its economy. It\u2019s drawing most of its revenue from this,\u201d said Jason Tower, country director for Myanmar at the United States Institute of Peace.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001n3b6m4hl8ukbh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThese armed groups have very direct relationships with the mafia,\u201d he added. \u201cThey\u2019re using that revenue to purchase weapons, to recruit new troops. So, it\u2019s a very clear alignment of interests that\u2019s there between these armed groups and the criminal syndicates.\u201d    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm8gqk84100083b6mdskye7tf@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"pull-quote__section\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">                    \u201cAs long as peace is not a reality in Myanmar\u2026 This is the reality here along the border.\u201d                <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">                    Kannavee Suebsang, Thai lawmaker                <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001p3b6mni9om21m@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Thailand\u2019s Department of Special Investigation is seeking an arrest warrant for BGF leader Saw Chit Thu \u2013 who is linked to another notorious compound, Shwe Kokko \u2013 and two of his associates, on human trafficking charges.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fgu8m700003b6m4r6dpndl@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Police said the prosecutor\u2019s office is reviewing the case.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001q3b6m8x0a1ucx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Chit Thu has denied knowing about or benefiting from the scamming and trafficking operations in his territory, and said in a recent press conference that the BGF is raiding the compounds with the aim of eradicating them.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001r3b6mxxvzvdph@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            China has taken the lead in putting pressure on Thailand to stop scam operations on its border. For years, China has been the main supporter of Myanmar\u2019s military, but the proliferation of scam operations has strained that relationship.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001s3b6m0oktb07e@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Analysts say Beijing could be leveraging the situation to increase its security presence in Myanmar and influence the trajectory of the civil war, which has had a destabilizing effect on its own border with Myanmar.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001t3b6mdobwexgf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt potentially could use that growing presence there to assist the Myanmar military in gaining additional intelligence on some of the movements of resistance forces in the Myanmar, Thailand borderland,\u201d said Tower.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8gxpj9u000l3b6miw8jssml@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Myint Kyaw of the junta-controlled Myanmar information ministry said the government is \u201cactively investigating online scams and online gambling, and is working with foreign countries, including foreign organizations, to combat them.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001u3b6msov2kgxf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            While Myanmar remains fractured and in a state of civil war, without a legitimate government to negotiate with, the scam industry in Myanmar won\u2019t be dismantled.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe04jl001v3b6m9oam2ap2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cAs long as peace is not a reality in Myanmar,\u201d said Kannavee. \u201cThis is the reality here along the border.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8wmzmpz00003b6mdkkriftp@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Adding further uncertainty to efforts to eradicate the scam compounds, is that Myanmar is now struggling to respond to a massive earthquake that has devastated the country\u2019s central Sagaing region, killing more than 2,700 people.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/interactive-video\/instances\/cm8fe21md002q3b6mu89ju34j@published\" class=\"interactive-video\" data-component-name=\"interactive-video\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__container \">            <video class=\"interactive-video__player\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"\" playsinline=\"\"><\/video>        <\/div>\n<div class=\"interactive-video__metadata\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__caption\">                    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Satellite images from Maxar Technologies show construction at KK Park in Myawaddy from 2020 to 2024.<\/span><figcaption class=\"interactive-video__credit\">Maxar Technologies<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cm8fe09p7001x3b6m80pf87c7@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"fears-for-those-left-behind\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Fears for those left behind<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fdzvum001b3b6mzrk8wfxt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Even for the about 7,000 victims and workers rounded up in the recent operations, there is little clarity on how or when many will be able to go home.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx00223b6mt4vf7783@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The armed groups have demanded that Thailand let the individuals cross the border so they can be repatriated, saying they don\u2019t have food or capacity to care for them.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx00233b6mms8pwxnr@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            China, whose nationals make up the largest proportion of people caught up inside the centers, has flown several thousand of its citizens home, and last week more than 500 freed Indian nationals were repatriated.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx00243b6m76a8rnxf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But Thailand has struggled to process a backlog of thousands of people from more than 20 countries.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm8gqn6qa000b3b6mnw7o8ehv@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"pull-quote__section\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">                    \u201cThey told him\u2026 We\u2019re going to sell you. We\u2019re going to get your kidney or your eyes.\u201d                <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">                    Chelsea, family member                <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx00253b6mbqrqu7uj@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe situation is really getting to the point where it\u2019s almost a humanitarian crisis, and it\u2019s a very unique crisis in so far as you have people from such a wide range of countries,\u201d said Tower. \u201cThis is a particularly complex operation to have to manage, and it\u2019s all happening with very little time to plan, very little time to raise resources.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx00263b6mfq4g13xm@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Kannavee led a successful rescue operation of 260 people in February after negotiating with the DKBA. Video from the release shows dozens of people streaming onto a small Thai-flagged ferry to cross the Moei River \u2013 the demarcation line between Thailand and Myanmar. Carrying bags and suitcases, many look relieved and happy to finally be on Thai soil. But their ordeal was not over.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx00273b6m7pxz81wm@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cMany of them are still stuck in the temporary shelters in Thailand,\u201d said Kannavee.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm8feu23v00093b6mtcqiqb28@published\" class=\"image_large image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"05-2025-02-13T094707Z_27832683_RC2XSCAQ1QYU_RTRMADP_3_THAILAND-MYANMAR.JPG.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"2400\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/05-2025-02-13t094707z-27832683-rc2xscaq1qyu-rtrmadp-3-thailand-myanmar-jpg.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Victims, who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar scam centers, stand on a vessel floating toward the Thai side of the border on February 12.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">Krit Phromsakla Na Sakolnakorn\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx00283b6m5kumxixi@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            As they watch others be released, families of those still inside the centers have had to anxiously await news of their loved ones.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx00293b6m0drbk86t@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Chelsea\u2019s husband left their home in the Philippines in April last year for what he was told was a tech support job in Thailand. Chelsea, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect her husband, was pregnant with their second child at the time, and the family needed the cash.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx002a3b6m3u1xzc2p@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But after arriving in Bangkok, her husband was driven to the Thai border town Mae Sot, where \u201csoldiers with guns\u201d forced him get on a boat across the river to Myanmar, she said. Instead of tech support, Chelsea said her husband worked 17-hour days for no salary conning people out of their money online.    <\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/pull-quote\/instances\/cm8gqocmz000e3b6mrkh0y6xp@published\" data-component-name=\"pull-quote\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"pull-quote inline-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"pull-quote__section\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__text inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\">                    \u201cI dare not imagine how terrible it must be to be in there.\u201d                <\/p>\n<p class=\"pull-quote__attribution inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"attribution\">                     Family member                <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx002d3b6mz9pwfzim@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cI cannot sleep. I\u2019m just thinking about how he\u2019s been doing,\u201d Chelsea said.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm8ff7iaa000b3b6mcuzhqf9q@published\" class=\"image_expandable image_expandable__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-name=\"08-GettyImages-2199971795.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"2400\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/08-gettyimages-2199971795.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_expandable__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">A member of the Karen Border Guard Force stands guard as those freed from online scam centers arrive at the border checkpoint with Thailand, in Myawaddy, Myanmar, on February 20.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_expandable__credit\">AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm8ff7kjp000d3b6mwmev293s@published\" class=\"image_expandable image_expandable__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-name=\"09-GettyImages-2199971509.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"2400\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/09-gettyimages-2199971509.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_expandable__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Alleged scam center workers and victims from China arrive at the border checkpoint with Thailand in Myawaddy, Myanmar, on February 20.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_expandable__credit\">AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx002e3b6mdx6f7zj7@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Chelsea had kept in touch with her husband via a used phone he bought from someone in the compound. But in December he suddenly stopped responding to her. Three months later, he got back in touch. He had been caught with the phone and the scam bosses threatened to sell him to another compound.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx002f3b6mc6bqrwri@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThey told him that if we catch you again having a phone, we\u2019re going to sell you. We\u2019re going to get your kidney or your eyes,\u201d Chelsea said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx002g3b6mxbvfab02@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Her husband was in a DKBA camp, hoping to be released home. Last week, he was finally released.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx002i3b6m8u0m3712@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            One woman from China, who requested anonymity because she feared retaliation, said she believed her sibling was moved to a different compound in February.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx002j3b6mpptfbigq@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Until her sibling was unexpectedly released in recent weeks, information had dried up for months.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm8fe0nzx002k3b6mtcti0es8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cEver since they started releasing people in February, their freedom has been monitored even more strictly, no one is allowed to chat with (each) other,\u201d she said. \u201cI dare not imagine how terrible it must be to be in there.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm8ffii37000l3b6m0xd4pflh@published\" class=\"image_large image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"06-2025-02-28T121608Z_1786783490_RC2B2DABKC7H_RTRMADP_3_THAILAND-MYANMAR.JPG.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6675010429703796\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"2397\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/06-2025-02-28t121608z-1786783490-rc2b2dabkc7h-rtrmadp-3-thailand-myanmar-jpg.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Victims of scam centers, who were tricked into working in Myanmar, are assembled at a compound inside the KK Park, after a crackdown operation by the Karen Border Guard Force on February 26.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hundreds of men and women stand in rows, divided by nationality, in the courtyard of a white-walled compound, flanked by armed guards in fatigues. The group were among around 7,000 people recently released from scam&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}