A Chinese court has handed down death sentences to 16 members of a notorious family-run criminal gang accused of running violent cross-border scam operations in Myanmarβs Kokang region, authorities confirmed on Monday.According to state media, the gang established fraud centres in Kokang, an area on the ChinaβMyanmar border long known as a hub for illicit activities. The syndicate was accused of orchestrating large-scale online scams that targeted Chinese citizens, resulting in multiple deaths and significant financial losses.
Prosecutors told the court that the criminal network used violence and intimidation to maintain control over its operations, which extended from Myanmar into Chinese territory. Victims who resisted were reportedly tortured or killed.The court ruled that the severity of the crimesβincluding murder, fraud, and organized violenceβwarranted the ultimate punishment. In addition to the 16 death sentences, several other members of the group received prison terms ranging from long sentences to life imprisonment.
Beijing has in recent months intensified its crackdown on cross-border telecom fraud, particularly in northern Myanmar, where criminal syndicates have exploited weak law enforcement. Chinese authorities have repatriated thousands of suspects from Myanmar and vowed tougher penalties for ringleaders.The death sentences underscore Chinaβs hard-line approach to tackling transnational crime networks and its determination to protect citizens from online scam syndicates that have claimed hundreds of lives and left countless families in financial ruin.