New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) Amid a massive crackdown on cyber criminals in Myanmar, India needs to remain alert to several cyber scam centers located in the China-Myanmar border areas targeting its citizens.
These centres, located in Kayin State, Wa region and the China-Myanmar border areas, where the central government has limited access, lure victims by showing fake online job advertisements, confiscate passports and force them into cryptocurrency and romance scams, India Narrative reports.
According to the report, New Delhi, Beijing and Bangkok have demanded that Nepita take strict action in this matter.
A statement from Myanmar’s military information ministry said its forces had freed KK Park, which has been synonymous with online fraud, money laundering and human trafficking for the past five years. More than 2,000 people have been detained and about 30 Starlink satellite terminals used for communications seized in the scam.
These cyber hubs have become a matter of concern for India. In March this year, the Ministry of External Affairs had confirmed that around 300 citizens had been rescued from cyber scam targets in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar. According to reports, 540 people were brought back via Thailand in the later phase.
In fact, the governance system mixed with control over armed groups, corruption and foreign criminal investment has made Kayin State (Myanmar) a hub of cyber crime.
The Myanmar military’s raid on KK Park signals to neighboring countries that it can enforce border security and control criminal-militia activities, the report said. However, challenges remain as the networks behind these bases are deeply involved in cross-border smuggling and crypto-fraud.
—IANS