Illegal Internet Cables Discovered on Thai-Myanmar Bridge
Authorities dismantle cables used by call scammers
Authorities have uncovered and dismantled illegal internet cables across the first Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, located in Tak's Mae Sot district, effectively severing a major communication channel for call center scams.
The discovery, part of a joint investigation by Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) and the Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression (TACTICS), revealed the existence of 16 high-speed fibre optic cables.
These included two 216-core cables, two 96-core cables, and fourteen 24-core cables.
The cables were connected across the Moei River at Ban Rim Moei in Mae Sot, adjacent to Myawaddy, Myanmar, and ran several kilometers into Myanmar.
Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn, an NBTC commissioner, stated that the cables could transmit signals over vast distances, enabling scammers to operate across four economic towns.
The operation marks the largest seizure of illegal internet cables by the authorities, significantly hindering scam operations by removing their internet access.