Singaporean man arrested in Myanmar for alleged connection to international scam syndicate

A Singaporean was arrested in Myanmar for his alleged connection to an international scam syndicate.

He was among the 156 foreign nationals nabbed in a raid on gambling and fraud hub Shwe Kokko, according to the government-owned newspaper The Global New Light of Myanmar.

He was allegedly part of an online scam and gambling syndicate operating there, and was in hiding after committing offences in neighbouring countries, including Thailand.

Responding to AsiaOne’s queries, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that they are aware of the media report, and are in contact with the Myanmar authorities to render assistance.

The others arrested included 65 Chinese nationals, 20 Indians, 13 Kenyans, eight Vietnamese, eight Burundians, seven Filipinos, six Ugandans, five Thais, four Ethiopians, three Nigerians, two Rwandans, a Nepali, a Zimbabwean, a Kazakh, an Uzbek, a Beninese, a Togolese and a Malaysian.

Located on the Thai-Myanmar border, Shwe Kokko has been under the spotlight as a fertile ground for scam hubs which are staffed by thousands of willing workers and people trafficked from abroad.

Myanmar state media reported last Friday that since Nov 18, the authorities have demolished over 200 buildings that were used for scam operations, while a total of 1,746 foreigners have been arrested.

"Moreover, authorities have seized 2,893 computers, 21,750 mobile phones, 101 Starlink satellite receivers, 21 routers, and a large quantity of industrial materials used in online fraud and gambling activities," the Myanmar newspaper reported.

On Oct 29, the SPF issued warrants of arrests against 34 people — 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians —  for targeting Singaporeans from a scam compound in Cambodia.

Two Singaporeans from the group were deported from Cambodia and Thailand and charged here on Nov 17.

According to figures from the police, scam victims in Singapore were cheated a total of $456.4 million in the first half of 2025.

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chingshijie@asiaone.com