• Over 200 foreign nationals rescued from scam centres are stranded along the Thailand-Myanmar border.
• The Karen National Army is providing food and medical supplies to the stranded individuals.
• Thailand has cut electricity and other supplies to disrupt scam operations in the region.
• International pressure has intensified to shut down these criminal operations after high-profile abductions.
• Complaints regarding scam centres have shifted from Myanmar to Cambodia following Thailand's interventions.

More than 200 foreign nationals rescued from scam centres in eastern Myanmar are currently stranded along the war-torn country’s border with Thailand, according to the Karen National Army (KNA), a local rebel group overseeing their repatriation. The KNA reports that they are housing 216 rescued individuals, including citizens from Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and Indonesia, and are providing essential supplies and care, notably for the pregnant women among them, stated KNA spokesperson Naing Maung Zaw according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, and Bangkok Post.

Criminal networks have been exploiting thousands of individuals by trafficking them to scam compounds throughout Southeast Asia, particularly along the Thai-Myanmar border. The KNA claims to have rescued over 8,000 foreign nationals from these operations in recent months. The humanitarian crisis has prompted immediate needs for food and medical supplies, which the KNA is striving to provide according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

Thailand has taken steps to disrupt the scam operations by halting electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five border areas, including Myawaddy, which have been identified as hot spots for illegal activities. Local residents have reported power outages persisting for months, leading to a reliance on generators amidst unstable government electricity supply, as highlighted by sources from Channel News Asia, Bangkok Post, and Reuters.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced plans to extend these electricity cuts to illegal operations in Cambodia as criminal activity has reportedly migrated from Myanmar following the disruptions. "After we cut electricity and water to Myanmar, the number of complaints dropped significantly," she stated, according to Reuters and Bangkok Post.

International scrutiny over these scam centres has intensified, particularly following the kidnapping of noted Chinese actor Wang Xing earlier in the year, underscoring the extent of criminal networks operating in this region, which are primarily linked to Chinese operations according to Channel News Asia and Reuters.