SpaceX disables over 2,500 Starlink units linked to Myanmar scam hubs - Salaam
Salaam - I came across a report that SpaceX has disabled more than 2,500 Starlink devices being used at scam centers in Myanmar. These scam compounds, which grew along the poorly governed border after the 2021 coup, run large operations targeting foreigners with fake romance and business schemes. A crackdown earlier this year saw thousands of workers sent back and a cross-border internet blackout in neighboring Thailand, but investigations found construction and installation of Starlink terminals continued.
SpaceX’s Starlink business VP said they had deactivated over 2,500 kits near suspected scam sites, though it wasn’t clear exactly when those disconnections happened. Myanmar’s military says it raided one major hub, KK Park, and seized about 30 Starlink terminals - but journalists and analysts say many more were in use there. Reporters saw over a thousand people leaving the site by foot, motorbike, and pickup trucks, and some workers said the raid and removals were still underway.
These scam centers have become an important part of the wartime economy in Myanmar, where the junta fights various rebel groups. China pressured authorities earlier this year after Chinese nationals were heavily involved as operators and victims, leading to repatriations and pressure to curb the black-market scams. Analysts say the junta balances between pleasing China and keeping local militias - which profit from the scam hubs - onside, so actions against these centers are often limited or symbolic.
Just sharing this for awareness - may Allah protect people from fraud and harm.
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