More than 600 people fled a notorious scam centre in eastern Myanmar and crossed into Thailand’s Tak province after a Myanmar military raid on the compound, Thai officials confirmed on Thursday. The exodus came from the KK Park complex in Myawaddy township, a sprawling network of buildings along the Moei River, directly across from Mae Sot district in Thailand. The site, infamous for large-scale online fraud operations, became the focus of a security operation that prompted hundreds to escape, some by wading through the river overnight. Local officials said many of those who fled are believed to be victims of trafficking or forced labour, while others may have joined the illicit trade voluntarily in search of higher income.

Sawanit Suriyakul Na Ayutthaya, deputy governor of Tak province, told AFP that 677 people had crossed into Thailand by Thursday morning, with immigration and military personnel assisting them “under humanitarian procedures”. Another crowd of more than 100 people was seen on the Myanmar side early Thursday, many carrying luggage and seeking to cross. Witnesses reported chaotic scenes as dozens made illegal overnight crossings to escape the raid. The Tak Provincial Administration said those who entered Thailand included “foreign nationals” of multiple countries and that more arrivals are expected in the coming days as Myanmar’s crackdown continues.

The raid is part of a broader regional campaign to dismantle cross-border scam networks that have flourished along Myanmar’s border zones amid political instability since the 2021 military coup. These compounds, often fortified and run by criminal syndicates, host large-scale cybercrime operations involving romance scams, investment fraud, and cryptocurrency schemes. While international pressure earlier this year led to the repatriation of around 7,000 workers, new evidence suggests the criminal industry has quickly adapted. An AFP investigation found ongoing construction at several scam hubs and widespread installation of Starlink satellite receivers, linking the compounds to Elon Musk’s network and helping them evade government internet controls.

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Authorities in Thailand said those who crossed the border will undergo screening to determine whether they were trafficking victims or complicit in the scams. Indonesian officials reported that at least 20 Indonesian nationals were among those who “successfully crossed into Thai territory” by Wednesday evening, citing Thai authorities. Human rights groups have warned that without coordinated regional action, the multibillion-dollar cybercrime industry operating in Myanmar’s borderlands will continue exploiting vulnerable migrants while evading law enforcement. The latest exodus highlights both the scale of the trafficking crisis and the difficulties of policing Myanmar’s conflict-ridden frontier.

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