Audio By Carbonatix
Elon Musk's SpaceX says it has cut Starlink satellite communication links to more than 2,500 devices used by scam compounds in Myanmar.
More than 30 compounds are believed to be operating along the Thai-Myanmar border, where people from around the world are trafficked and forced to work on scams generating tens of billions of dollars annually.
Announcing the move, Lauren Dreyer, head of Starlink business operations, said the firm takes action on the rare occasion it identifies violations.
The service's termination follows Monday's takeover of one of the largest compounds, KK Park, by the Myanmar military, as it retakes territory lost to insurgent groups over the past two years.
Campaigners have long warned that Starlink technology has enabled the mainly Chinese crime syndicates to operate from remote locations along the border.
Myanmar has become infamous for these operations, which defraud victims through romantic ploys and bogus investment schemes.
Workers are lured under the guise of legitimate jobs, only to be held captive and forced into criminal activity.
Survivors recount gruelling conditions, long hours, torture and beatings for failing to meet targets. Many of the victims come from African countries.
"In Myanmar... SpaceX proactively identified and disabled over 2,500 Starlink Kits in the vicinity of suspected 'scam centers'," Dreyer said in a post on X.
"We are committed to ensuring the service remains a force for good and sustains trust worldwide: both connecting the unconnected and detecting and preventing misuse by bad actors," she added.
On Monday Myanmar's military said it had "cleared" KK Park, releasing more than 2,000 workers and confiscating 30 Starlink terminals.
Photographs show the satellite dishes on the compound's rooftops and footage supplied to the BBC showed thousands of workers leaving KK Park on foot.
However, at least 30 other scam compounds remain active along the border, employing tens of thousands globally. Many are protected by militia groups loyal to the Myanmar military and it is unclear whether they have also lost access to Starlink services they once relied on.
These centres have become a key component of Myanmar's wartime economy, as the junta battles various rebel groups while relying on Chinese support to maintain its hold on power.
Latest Stories
-
Mahama must probe$1.7bn GoldBod loss – Abena Osei-Asare
4 minutes -
Ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death in absentia
12 minutes -
Assin Fosu court orders mental examination for woman accused of assaulting 10-year-old daughter
22 minutes -
Vice President calls for sustainable livelihoods, stronger protection for Kayayei
28 minutes -
Family, passengers injured in ghastly road crash at Ejisu
30 minutes -
DMU 002 train repaired after colliding with goat near Ashaiman
38 minutes -
Three remanded over alleged concealment of 869 cocaine slabs in gari
41 minutes -
Ernest Chemists mourns with Dagbon, donates GH¢70,000 to Palace
43 minutes -
Court turns down bail for alleged romance scam pastor
52 minutes -
Asokwa MCE links recent MoMo vendor attacks to Asafo Market decongestion
53 minutes -
Galamsey has polluted 60% of Ghana’s water bodies — CSIR-WRI scientist
54 minutes -
Criminal trials during legal vacations a ‘novel’ departure from tradition — Kpemka
55 minutes -
Nana B begins campaign tour in Ashanti region as he eyes NPP 1st Vice chair position
55 minutes -
CDD-Ghana calls for investigations into unresolved 2020 and 2024 election violence cases
57 minutes -
Communities applaud early gains under Damang Gold Mine Limited
1 hour