الصين تعدم قادة أخطر شبكة احتيال في ميانمار

A Chinese court in the city of Wenzhou has issued immediate death sentences for 11 senior leaders of a transnational criminal network based in northern Myanmar, on charges of managing electronic fraud operations, illegal gambling, and human exploitation.

Harsh Campaign

These sentences come as part of a harsh campaign launched by Beijing against fraud centers linked to Myanmar, which officials say have netted over $1.4 billion since 2015, and have included charges ranging from fraud and prostitution to managing gambling, drug trafficking, and killing those who attempted to escape from the network.

The list of the convicted includes celebrities from prominent families, including "Ming Guobing," "Ming Zhenzhen," and "Zhou Wei Chang," all of whom are from an influential family in the "Kokang" region of northern Myanmar.

5 Executions

In addition to the sentences issued against the leaders, the court sentenced five individuals to death with a two-year reprieve, which often turns into life imprisonment, and prison sentences ranging from 5 to 24 years were handed down to 12 other defendants.

Exploitation of Workers

The court confirmed that the network exploited workers, most of whom were Chinese citizens, who were either kidnapped or lured with fake job offers, then transported to forced labor sites where they were tortured whenever they attempted to escape or disobeyed the leaders' orders.

Following a surge in public anger over the insecurity faced by citizens, the Chinese government designed these sentences as a stern warning that meddling with transnational fraud operations will no longer be overlooked.