Myanmar Military Claims Capture of Notorious KK Park Scam Compound Near Thai Border
The Myanmar military says it has seized control of one of Southeast Asia’s most infamous scam compounds, known as KK Park, located near the border with Thailand. The sprawling complex, long associated with online fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering, has been a key hub for criminal operations for nearly five years.
According to the junta’s information ministry, military forces have reclaimed the compound as part of their recent offensive to reestablish control over strategic border regions. The move comes as the military attempts to expand its hold around Myawaddy, Myanmar’s main trade gateway to Thailand, and to prepare for a controversial election planned for December.
A Stronghold of Online Crime and Exploitation
Situated just south of Myawaddy, KK Park gained international notoriety as one of the region’s largest scam compounds. Thousands of workers from around the world—particularly from Africa and Southeast Asia—were reportedly trafficked to the facility under false promises of lucrative online jobs. Once inside, many were coerced into running elaborate online scams that defrauded victims across the globe of billions of dollars.
The compound’s dark reputation grew alongside its rapid expansion. Witnesses and former detainees described it as a heavily guarded complex where victims were beaten, tortured, or even killed for refusing to meet their financial targets. Despite being under the control of local militias, KK Park operated openly, visible even from the Thai town of Mae Sot across the border.
Military’s Offensive and Strategic Control
In its statement, the Myanmar junta claimed its troops had “cleared” KK Park and rescued more than 2,000 people allegedly trapped there. Officials also said they had confiscated 30 Starlink satellite terminals, a technology widely used by scam operations to maintain global connectivity even in remote areas.
The announcement comes amid a broader push by the junta to regain territory lost to resistance forces since the 2021 military coup, which plunged Myanmar into civil war. Over the past few months, military units have launched a series of offensives to recapture key border towns and trade routes. Regaining control of Myawaddy and surrounding areas, including KK Park, is seen as vital for the regime’s efforts to project authority before the upcoming elections—dismissed by opposition groups as a “sham.”
KK Park’s Origins and Infamous Expansion
KK Park’s story began in early 2020 when the Karen National Union (KNU)—an ethnic insurgent group that controls much of the region—signed a lease agreement with Huanya International, a little-known Hong Kong-listed company, to develop an “industrial park.”
However, researchers soon uncovered links between Huanya International and Wan Kuok Koi, a Macau gangster known as Broken Tooth. Once a powerful triad boss, Wan has since been linked to multiple criminal enterprises and investments in scam compounds along the Thai-Myanmar border. Under these networks, KK Park transformed from a development project into a thriving hub of illicit activity.
The facility grew quickly, featuring high-security walls, surveillance towers, and dormitories for thousands of workers. Those who escaped described a grim reality of confinement, beatings, and around-the-clock scam operations targeting global victims through fake investment platforms and romance frauds.
China’s Pressure and Regional Crackdown
Myanmar’s announcement of KK Park’s capture appears designed to appease Beijing, which has grown increasingly vocal about the proliferation of Chinese-run scam operations in the region. China has repeatedly pressed both Myanmar and Thailand to dismantle compounds that exploit Chinese citizens and defraud victims back home.
Earlier this year, joint operations between China and Thailand led to the repatriation of thousands of Chinese nationals found working in scam centers. Many were flown back to China on chartered flights after Thai authorities cut off power and fuel supplies to compounds suspected of hosting criminal activity.
However, analysts say KK Park is just one of over 30 similar scam compounds operating along the Thai-Myanmar border. Many of these are reportedly protected by local militias allied with the junta and remain fully functional despite international pressure.
Contradictions and Continuing Activity
While Myanmar’s military claims victory at KK Park, local sources say the picture on the ground may be more complicated. A source familiar with the area told the BBC that scam operations inside the complex have not completely ceased. Instead, the military may only control certain sections, while other parts continue to operate under militia supervision.
The same source suggested that the junta’s actions may be selective—focusing primarily on apprehending Chinese nationals on Beijing’s wanted lists while allowing broader operations to continue. This aligns with reports that Chinese authorities have provided the junta with the names of individuals they want extradited for fraud and cybercrime.
A Complex Web of Power and Profit
KK Park’s existence—and the military’s delayed response to its criminal activities—highlight Myanmar’s tangled web of corruption, militias, and business interests. For years, human rights groups and regional observers accused the junta of benefiting indirectly from the scam industry through militia networks that shared profits with military officers.
In recent months, however, those same militias have become essential allies in the junta’s campaign to retake border areas from resistance forces. By working together, they have helped the military reclaim key routes, including the main highway connecting Myawaddy to central Myanmar.
In addition to KK Park, the military also seized Lay Kay Kaw, a town established in 2015 with Japanese support as a symbol of peace and cooperation with the KNU. The fall of Lay Kay Kaw represents a major setback for the KNU, which had used the area as an administrative center and training ground.
Ongoing Conflict and a Fragile Future
Despite the junta’s recent territorial gains, large portions of Myanmar remain under the control of resistance forces, including the People’s Defence Forces (PDF) and ethnic armed organizations. These groups continue to wage guerrilla warfare against the military, leaving much of the country in chaos.
The junta’s plan to hold elections starting in December is widely regarded as an attempt to legitimize its rule. Opposition leaders have vowed to prevent the polls from taking place in areas under their control, calling them “a political theater designed to whitewash dictatorship.”
Meanwhile, in KK Park, uncertainty remains. Even as the military touts its capture of the compound, human rights organizations warn that hundreds, possibly thousands, of trafficked workers could still be trapped inside similar facilities nearby.
A Symbol of Myanmar’s Crisis
For many observers, the fall—or partial fall—of KK Park symbolizes both Myanmar’s criminal underworld and its political instability. The complex’s transformation from a supposed industrial park into a cybercrime fortress encapsulates the corruption, lawlessness, and desperation that have come to define Myanmar’s borderlands since the coup.
As regional powers like China and Thailand ramp up pressure, the junta faces increasing scrutiny to dismantle these networks completely. But given the military’s reliance on local militias and its own financial interests, few believe that Myanmar’s leadership has the will—or capacity—to truly end the billion-dollar scam industry thriving under its watch.