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Crime in Hong Kong
Hong KongLaw and Crime

200 Chinese nationals flee bombed Myanmar scam hub that once held Hongkongers

Number of foreigners fleeing Myanmar’s infamous scam farm across the Moei river to Thailand rises to 1,525

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Smoke rises over buildings following an explosion in the KK Park compound. More than 1,500 people have fled from Myanmar into Thailand this week after the Myanmar military raided one of the country’s largest scam centres. Photo: AFP
Jiang ChuqinandVivian Au

Around 200 Chinese nationals were among hundreds of people who reportedly fled the notorious KK Park in Myanmar and crossed into Thailand after military troops bombed the compound where some Hongkongers had previously been held.

Former district councillor Andy Yu Tak-po, who has been helping the families of local residents trapped in Southeast Asia since 2022, told the Post on Monday that around four Hongkongers remained at scam farms in Myanmar, but he was unsure if they were in KK Park.

A series of explosions have been heard since last Friday near the Thai-Myanmar border, with the latest occurring at around 5.30pm local time on Sunday when the Karen Border Guard Force and Myanmar’s army destroyed buildings tied to scam operations in KK Park, according to Thai news outlet The Nation.

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Hundreds flee Myanmar’s scam compounds for Thailand

Hundreds flee Myanmar’s scam compounds for Thailand

KK Park is one of the most infamous scam hubs located in Kayin state’s Myawaddy township. The complex, which lies across the Moei river from the Thai border town of Mae Sot, is a major cybercrime and human trafficking hub.

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More than 600 people fled the scam compound and crossed into Thailand, with some choosing to swim across the river, last Wednesday.

People from various countries who were working in the KK Park compound in Myanmar and crossed to Thailand via the Moei river, board a vehicle as Thai soldiers keep watch. Photo: Thai News Pix/AFP
People from various countries who were working in the KK Park compound in Myanmar and crossed to Thailand via the Moei river, board a vehicle as Thai soldiers keep watch. Photo: Thai News Pix/AFP

By Sunday, the number had risen to 1,525, including 482 Indians, 220 Filipinos and 193 Chinese nationals, the news outlet reported on Monday, citing figures from the Tak Border Command Centre and the Ratchamanu Task Force.

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Thai authorities expect the number of foreigners crossing into the country to further rise in the next few days and are preparing several temporary shelters.

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