Authorities in Laos detained nearly 10,651 suspects of 31 nationalities in the first nine months of 2026 in a nationwide crackdown on cybercrime and online gambling, officials reported.
The Ministry of Public Security said on 6 October that authorities had detained the suspects between the start of the year and 16 September. Police also resolved 153 related cases during the period.
The suspects were mostly Lao, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Myanmar, Russian, Brazilian, Ethiopian, Ugandan, and Rwandan nationals.
Growing Sophistication
Police said cybercrime has become increasingly sophisticated, with criminals using artificial intelligence (AI) to create fake identities and forge voices and faces for scams.
They also operate illegal loan apps to harvest personal data, use “ghost” accounts to launder money, and forge travel documents. Police said some of these operations are linked to human trafficking and drug offenses, with victims sometimes recruited through fake call center jobs.
To counter these threats, authorities have strengthened technical controls, including tighter management of SIM cards and efforts to link internet use with census databases.
They are also tracking and cutting off illegal satellite signals, including those from smuggled Starlink equipment. Starlink is a satellite internet service that provides high-speed broadband to remote and rural areas. Authorities have focused on illegal use of the service in remote areas and Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Major raids
Police highlighted four major operations as part of the crackdown.
In mid-July, officers raided the ST Vegas Building near the 1st Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in Vientiane, detaining 589 people and seizing more than 10,000 computers and phones.
In August, police searched a building in the Thatlaung Lake SEZ and detained 261 Chinese and Vietnamese nationals.
Police also raided six locations in Vientiane at the same time, confiscating more than 3,300 phones used by scammers. At the Athens Hotel, officers found a scam group involving 74 suspects from China, Vietnam, and Taiwan, along with suspected narcotics.
Recent handovers show the crackdown extends beyond Laos.
On 3 October, Bokeo officers handed 30 Vietnamese nationals to Vietnamese authorities at the Tay Trang International Border Gate in Dien Bien Province.
Earlier on 1 October, Lao officials handed 196 Chinese and Thai nationals to authorities in their home countries. Of them, 189 face cybercrime or telecom fraud allegations, and seven face illegal entry charges.
Earlier efforts
The drive builds on earlier work. Lao authorities detained 4,486 suspects and carried out 44 operations targeting cybercrime in the first six months of 2026. Then-Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone reported the figures to an Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly in early July.
Challenges remain
Despite these results, police said masterminds still direct operations from abroad through online networks, and complex repatriation procedures slow some cases. They said authorities must also address criminals’ use of AI to create fake identities and property owners who rent space to criminal groups.
