In February 2025, under pressure domestically and from China, Thailand cut power to Myanmar border areas where the scam industry has developed a foothold. This halted years of cross-border sales of electricity to companies linked to the Myanmar military and its militia, the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), which powered the expansion of the cyber scam industry.

Yet, this is not the first time Thailand has suspended electricity to areas where there are cyber scam compounds. Measures were taken by Thailand to cut power to two scam zones in 2023, but Justice For Myanmar’s investigation shows that the cyber scam industry actually expanded, enabled by Thai state-owned and private businesses, the Myanmar military, its militias and their associates.

A deeper examination of the power supply to cyber scam compounds in recent years is therefore necessary to ensure current measures systematically eradicate the cyber scam industry by targeting root causes while taking steps to alleviate the suffering of local communities.

The crackdown must finally end the criminal impunity enjoyed by the Myanmar military, its Karen BGF militia, corrupt Thai officials, businesses and criminal elements that have converted the region into a scam hub.

The Myanmar military is at the centre of a web of criminal businesses and nurtures and harbours the Karen BGF, which is under Myanmar military command. Cyber scams have greatly proliferated in Myanmar since the military’s attempted coup. With the Karen BGF, the Myanmar military profits from cyber scam operations in eastern Myanmar, which fuels its ongoing campaign of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This transnational criminal activity cannot be eradicated without dismantling the Myanmar military and its criminal cartel. This needs to be done with targeted measures that include sanctions and wider criminal prosecutions to end the impunity of the Myanmar military, Karen BGF and their accomplices.

Thailand should also urgently review cross border fuel and electricity transactions and existing power purchase agreements; and transparently report on the extent to which supplies have enabled criminal activities.

Going forward, any future power purchase agreements should include automated grid data sharing to Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) so it can monitor signs of illegal use, including transformer-level and feeder-level data on real-time load and frequency.

Steps also need to be taken to prevent both formal and informal fuel sales that may supply criminal operations, and to provide relief to the general population who have been impacted by power cuts.

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