Five Myanmar gang members sentenced to death for telecom fraud, murder and operating scam compounds that killed six Chinese nationals.
BEIJING: China has sentenced five people to death for running a violent criminal gang with telecom fraud operations in Myanmar’s Kokang border region.
The Shenzhen court found the gang responsible for the deaths of six Chinese nationals and one suicide, with several others injured.
Official news agency Xinhua reported the criminals built 41 compounds in the Kokang region for illegal activities.
Their operations included telecom fraud, operating gambling dens, intentional homicide, organising prostitution and facilitating illegal border crossings.
Two other defendants received death sentences with two-year reprieves, which typically result in life imprisonment.
Five gang members were given life imprisonment, while nine others received sentences ranging from three to 20 years.
Scam compounds have flourished in Myanmar’s lawless borderlands, staffed by foreigners including many Chinese nationals.
Many workers claim they were trafficked and forced to participate in online swindling operations.
Beijing has intensified cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to crack down on these multibillion-dollar illicit operations.
Thousands of people have been repatriated to China in recent months as part of the crackdown.
The United Nations warned in April that Chinese and Southeast Asian gangs earn tens of billions annually through cyber scam centres.
UN estimates indicate hundreds of thousands of people work in scam centres globally.
The illicit industry has spread to South America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Pacific Islands.
This follows a September case where a Chinese court issued death sentences to 16 members of another family-run Kokang gang.
Five of those defendants also received death sentences with two-year reprieves. – AFP
