China Sentences Three to Death for Operating Scam Network in Myanmar

Kathmandu. A Chinese court on Tuesday sentenced three members of a criminal gang that operated a scam network in Myanmar's Kokang region to death. Dozens of other individuals have also been sentenced to various prison terms in the same case.

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

Not all individuals involved in online scams voluntarily engage in criminal activity. Some foreign nationals, especially Chinese citizens, are trafficked to such centers by luring them with job offers. They are held captive in prison-like compounds and forced into scam activities.

According to a statement issued by the Quanzhou Intermediate People's Court on Tuesday, members of the 'Wei family criminal gang' Wei Huai-ren, Chen Da-wei, and Liao Jing-fang were sentenced to death.

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

Wei Huai-ren was identified as one of the leaders of the gang. He was convicted of murder and various other crimes.

The court stated that over 12.2 billion yuan, equivalent to about 1.8 billion US dollars, was extorted through the gang's illegal activities.

In the case, three other members of the gang were sentenced to life imprisonment, while 55 individuals received prison sentences ranging from three years and three months to 24 years.

Analysts have described the 'Wei family' as one of the 'four major families' operating criminal networks in Myanmar's Kokang region.

According to China's state 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 commercial crimes.

CCTV reported that the gang operated 14 large scam centers and lured a large number of Chinese citizens to Myanmar with false promises of high salaries.

Police found remains of victims bound with iron chains and shot in the head during the investigation, CCTV mentioned.

Charges were first filed against members of the Wei family in October 2025.

China has previously imposed the death penalty in its crackdown on criminal gangs active in Myanmar. Last 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 homicide, causing bodily harm, kidnapping, and extortion.

Source: Ratopi, Staff, October 13, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde

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