Myanmar scam cities booming

THEY said they had smashed them. But fraud factories in Myanmar blamed for scamming Chinese and American victims out of billions of dollars are still in business and bigger than ever, an investigation can reveal.

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Satellite images and drone footage show frenetic building work in the heavily guarded compounds around Myawaddy on the Thailand-Myanmar border, which appear to be using Elon Musk’ Starlink satellite internet service on a huge scale.

Experts say most of the centres, notorious for their romance scams and “pig butchering” investment cons, are run by Chinese-led crime syndicates working with Myanmar militias in the lawless badlands of the Golden Triangle.

China, Thailand and Myanmar pressured the militias into vowing to “eradicate” the compounds in February, releasing around 7 000 people from a brutal call centre-like system that runs on greed, human trafficking and violence.

Freed workers from Asia, Africa and elsewhere showed journalists the scars and bruises of beatings they said were inflicted by their bosses.

They said they had been forced to work around the clock, trawling for victims for a plethora of phone and internet scams.

Sun, a Chinese national who was sold between several compounds, was able to give a rare insider's account after being freed with Beijing’s help.