China sentences three men to death for running Myanmar fraud center

लगानी न्यूज

२७ आश्विन २०८३, मंगलवार १७:५२October 13, 2026

A Chinese court on Tuesday sentenced three members of a criminal gang that operated a network of fraud centers in Myanmar’s Kokang region to death. Dozens of other people were also sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment in the same case.

TAG_OPEN_div_42 In recent years, billions of dollars worth of online fraud have flourished in some parts of Southeast Asia, including Myanmar. To control this, China has been increasing security cooperation with other countries in the region.

Not all people involved in online fraud are voluntarily involved in crimes. Some foreign nationals, especially Chinese nationals, are lured to such centers through human trafficking on the pretext of employment. They are held hostage in prison-like premises and forcibly involved in fraudulent activities.

Wei Huiren, Chen Dawei and Liao Jingfang, members of the Wei family criminal gang, were sentenced to death, the Quanzhou Intermediate People’s Court said in a statement on Tuesday.TAG_OPEN_div_38

According to the court, the gang was involved in serious crimes, including drug trafficking, prostitution, illegal casino operations, telecommunications fraud and the murder of at least two Chinese nationals.TAG_OPEN_div_36

TAG_OPEN_div_34 Wei Huiren was identified as one of the gang’s leaders. He was convicted of murder and various other crimes. The court said that more than 12.2 billion yuan, or about $1.8 billion, was recovered from the illegal activities of the gang.

Three other gang members were sentenced to life in prison, while 55 were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three years, three months to 24 years.TAG_OPEN_div_32

Analysts have described the Wei family as one of the “four major families” that run criminal networks in Myanmar’s Kokang region.TAG_OPEN_div_31

TAG_OPEN_div_29 According to China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV, the gang was one of the most violent criminal groups in northern Myanmar. It had built a powerful network by linking political, military and business crimes. CCTV said the gang operated 14 large fraud centers and invited a large number of Chinese nationals to Myanmar under false lures of high salaries.

During the investigation, police found the remains of the victim, who was tied with iron chains and shot wounds to his head, according to the CCTV.TAG_OPEN_div_27

The charges were first filed against members of the Wei family in October 2025.TAG_OPEN_div_26

TAG_OPEN_div_24 China has carried out executions in the past as it intensifies its crackdown on criminal gangs operating in Myanmar. In January, 11 people, including members of the Ming family criminal gang, were executed.

The following month, four members of the notorious “Bai group” were executed for crimes including fraud, intentional murder, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, kidnapping and extortion.TAG_OPEN_div_22