Thirty-nine members of major criminal gangs based in northern Myanmar were prosecuted on Monday by a procuratorate in East China's Zhejiang province for telecom fraud and other crimes targeting Chinese citizens.
The case filed with the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court has charged the suspects with fraud, intentional homicide, intentional injury, unlawful detention, casino operation, drug trafficking and prostitution, according to the Wenzhou procuratorate.
The criminal gangs, operating in northern Myanmar's Kokang region, which borders China's Yunnan province, are accused of using arms and coercion to carry out the crimes, including large-scale telecom fraud and internet scams targeting Chinese citizens.
Wang Sheng, deputy chief procurator of the Wenzhou procuratorate, said the case involves thousands of suspects, because the major criminal gangs and their affiliates have extensive networks.
"Some of the crimes took place on the Chinese side of the border, specifically targeted Chinese citizens and jeopardized the shared interests of the international community, therefore granting China jurisdiction over these offenses under its Criminal Law and international treaties," he said.
Wang added that thousands of suspects linked to northern Myanmar's criminal gangs are currently under investigation by procuratorates in Wenzhou and other locations across China.
The 39 suspects prosecuted on Monday include Mg Myin Shaunt Phyin, Ma Thiri Maung and Myin Shut Lan, who are all members of a family-run syndicate founded by Mye Shout Hkyann.
Mye Shout Hkyann was a former member of Myanmar's Shan State parliament and a former member of the Kokang self-administered zone's leadership committee. He killed himself before Myanmar police could arrest him on Nov 15, 2023.
Wenzhou procurators reported that 16 defendants of the transnational criminal case are citizens of Myanmar.
Wang said the family-run syndicate established several gambling and crime dens in Kokang since 2015, recruiting personnel to carry out telecom fraud among other criminal activities. There was a time when nearly 10,000 recruits worked in these dens, Wang added.
A 29-year-old man from Guangdong province, surnamed Li, illegally entered Myanmar in September 2023 in search of lucrative employment opportunities.
"I had to make hundreds of fraudulent calls every day. I had to successfully lure at least three victims a day. Otherwise, I was beaten," Li said.
The family-run syndicate offered a safe haven for various fraudulent activities such as fake investments, impersonation of public officials and counterfeit credit services, defrauding victims of billions of Chinese yuan.
Wang, the deputy chief procurator, said the syndicate operated casinos catering exclusively to Chinese nationals, with gambling funds reaching billions of yuan. It harbored illegal activities such as organizing prostitution involving Chinese women and selling drugs to Chinese citizens.
Wang Zao, deputy head of Wenzhou's public security bureau, said the family-run syndicate used its power and influence accumulated over time, as well as hired guns, to maintain control.
Na Xin, leader of the crime investigation team of Kunming's public security bureau, said that Mg Myin Shaunt Phyin is a militia leader who used armed personnel to shield the syndicate's operations. "The family reaped enormous profits from these crime dens," Na added.
Since China launched its special crackdown on telecom fraud in July 2023, over 53,000 suspects have been extradited from northern Myanmar to China through joint law enforcement efforts, the Ministry of Public Security reported in November.
In October 2023, the syndicate attempted to relocate its recruits to evade police scrutiny.
"My grandfather asked me to transfer these people when the investigation begins and bring them back later," said Myin Shut Lan, the granddaughter of Mye Shout Hkyann.
On Oct 20 last year, some of the syndicate's recruits tried to escape after realizing that they could not return to China. The syndicate's guards opened fire on them, killing four Chinese nationals and injuring another four.
The legal rights of all defendants, including Myanmar nationals, will be strictly safeguarded in accordance with the law, said Wang Sheng, the deputy chief procurator.
Contact the writers at lishangyi@chinadaily.com.cn
