Myanmar security forces raided an illegal online casino in Naung Lay village, Kengtung district, Shan State, detaining 156 people on the morning of 8 August. The operation followed a tip that an underground site was operating in a building near Naung Lay Fish Pond restaurant.
Among those arrested were 140 Chinese men, four Chinese women, one Lao national, eight Myanmar citizens and three local women. Officers seized 658 mobile phones, 134 desktop computers, 28 laptops, 15 processors, three routers, 13 Starlink terminals, five uninterruptible power supplies, two generators, one refrigerator and one freezer. The presence of Starlink is typical of fraud complexes in border areas: satellite internet bypasses power outages and state communications oversight.
Authorities said the detainees will face trial after the investigation concludes and that seized equipment will be processed according to procedure. The Kengtung raid is part of a series. In June, 59 people were detained in Muse. In the Shwe Kokko and KK Park zones in Karen State, more than a thousand foreign nationals have been arrested since late 2025. Myanmar continues to work with neighbouring countries and international bodies to eliminate online gambling and fraud operations on its territory.
