Myanmar leader says Starlink used by scam centres

AFP

Myanmar’s leader Min Aung Hlaing publicly called out Elon Musk’s satellite internet firm Starlink on Friday as one of the tools used by the country’s thriving online scam industry.

An AFP investigation last year revealed the use of Starlink devices had exploded in the industry, where scammers target internet users with romance and business cons worth tens of billions of dollars annually.

In his first major speech to parliament since being made civilian president in April, ex-coup leader Min Aung Hlaing named Starlink as he insisted his government was cracking down on the fraudsters.

“Our government considers online fraud and online gambling as serious crimes committed against the public. Therefore, our government will not tolerate them at all and is severely cracking down on and suppressing them,” he said.

He claimed foreigners were mostly responsible, saying that “the communication equipment they use, including Starlink, as well as computer accessories, were imported illegally by foreign nationals.”