China Sentences Three Leaders of Myanmar Telecom Fraud Gang to Death

Dragon Media News Desk

China has sentenced three leading members of a criminal gang led by the Wei family to death for operating telecom fraud, gambling and other criminal activities in Myanmar.

Under verdicts announced by the Quanzhou Intermediate People’s Court and the Nan’an People’s Court in Fujian Province, three other members were sentenced to life imprisonment, while 55 defendants received prison terms ranging from three years and three months to 24 years. The courts also imposed additional penalties, including fines, confiscation of property and deportation.

The courts found that, from 2019, the Wei family-led gang used its influence to establish multiple scam compounds in Kokang, Myanmar, where it maintained armed control and engaged in telecom fraud, gambling, extortion, organised prostitution, drug trafficking and illegal border crossings.

The gang’s gambling and fraud activities involved 12.2 billion yuan, equivalent to about 1.81 billion US dollars, according to the verdicts.

The courts said the gang, working with other scam groups, killed two Chinese nationals while dealing with people involved in telecom fraud who had refused to comply. The rulings also stated that a gang member abused the militia under his control and carried out arbitrary killings that resulted in the deaths of the two Chinese nationals.

The defendants were convicted of seven offences, including murder and fraud. Lawmakers, political advisers, relatives of those involved and other members of the public attended the announcement of the verdicts.