Myanmar's junta raided one of the country's most notorious internet scam centers and seized Starlink devices, it said Monday, after an explosion in their use in the billion-dollar black market was recently revealed.

Internet sweat shops where workers scam unsuspecting foreigners with business or romance schemes have thrived in war-ravaged Myanmar's lawless border regions since the COVID-19 pandemic.

A transnational push by Thai, Chinese and Myanmar authorities starting in February resulted in a huge crackdown releasing around 7,000 workers, many of who say they were trafficked to work in the fortified compounds.