According to reports from multiple Burmese media outlets, the Myanmar police and military have recently launched a large-scale crackdown on illegal online gambling activities. On the morning of June 4, law enforcement officers raided an online gambling den in Ruibo Town, Shwebo Province, capturing 18 suspects on the spot and seizing a large amount of gambling equipment and cash.
The raid targeted a residential house in Ruibo Town, owned by Gonai Xinwen and his wife Madai Piaotun, who are accused of being the masterminds behind the illegal online gambling platform, using their home as the gambling operation center. In addition to the couple, 16 other employees responsible for the daily maintenance of the website were arrested, most of whom are women, highlighting the complexity and systematic nature of the gambling platform's organization.
During the enforcement process, the police confiscated a large number of computers, mobile phones, and cash used for online gambling operations. It is reported that in recent years, Ruibo Town has been plagued by illegal online gambling and "fishing machine" activities, leading to a series of public security issues such as frequent thefts and robberies, severely disrupting the local residents' order of life.
Currently, the Gonai Xinwen couple has been charged by the police under Sections 18A and 19A of the Myanmar Gambling Law, and the other 16 technical staff have also been charged under Section 19A.
Not only in Ruibo Town, but on the morning of June 3, the military and police also launched a raid in Shengsabin Village, Zeyadiyi Town, Naypyidaw, successfully arresting a man suspected of leading online gambling, "Dan Xin Gege". Although no other suspects were captured at the scene, the police have initiated an investigation against him, suspected of violating relevant provisions of the Gambling Law.
In fact, since the beginning of 2024, the Myanmar government has frequently launched special rectifications against online gambling. On January 29, 71 people (including 24 men and 47 women) suspected of participating in online gambling operations were arrested by the police in the FMI CITY residential area in the eastern part of Yangon, and a large amount of hardware equipment was also seized at the scene.
The Myanmar official stated that they will continue to intensify efforts to eliminate the impact of online gambling on grassroots society, while cutting off the network support system for cross-border telecom fraud and underground financial chains, in order to restore local public security and social stability.
