China sentences 3 people to death for running scam centers

The Wei family gang was not only an online fraud operation. The court linked it to drug trafficking, organized prostitution, illegal casinos, telecommunications fraud, and the murders of at least two Chinese citizens. Its violence made the case far more serious than a typical financial crime prosecution.

Quanzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced Wei Huairen, Chen Dawei, and Liao Jingfang to death for their involvement in the gang. Wei Huairen was identified as one of its leaders and was found guilty of several crimes, including murder. The court also gave life sentences to three members and prison terms to 55 others.

The sentences show China's effort to dismantle powerful crime syndicates operating near its border. The gang's alleged crimes crossed several categories and generated more than 12.2 billion yuan. Earlier executions of members of the Ming and Bai families suggest a wider crackdown on Kokang's criminal networks.

A scam center is a large compound where organized criminals direct online fraud. Workers contact people through the internet and use false identities, romance stories, or business opportunities to persuade them to send money. The compounds matter because they turn deception into a coordinated, industrial operation.

In Myanmar, the Wei gang reportedly operated 14 large-scale compounds. It lured Chinese people with promises of high wages, then used some workers to target victims through telecommunications fraud. Those targets could be anywhere, because internet messages and calls cross borders easily. Other workers joined knowingly, while foreign nationals were sometimes tricked and held inside prison-like sites.

The model has expanded beyond Myanmar. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime reports scam activity in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and some Pacific islands. The U.N. estimates hundreds of thousands of people work in scam centers globally, making online fraud a major international criminal business.

The Wei family's operation was vast. CCTV described the gang as running 14 large-scale scam compounds in northern Myanmar's Kokang region. It allegedly created an iron triangle linking political, military, and business criminal activities, rather than operating as a small, isolated fraud group.

The court said the gang's operations netted more than 12.2 billion yuan, equivalent to about $1.8 billion. Its compounds reportedly lured large numbers of Chinese people with fake promises of high wages. Those sites provided the organization, workforce, and infrastructure needed to conduct telecommunications fraud at scale.

The reported income helps explain why scam centers have flourished into a global industry. The U.N. warned that Chinese and Southeast Asian gangs make tens of billions of dollars a year through such centers. The activity has spread from Myanmar to several other regions, including Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

Myanmar's Kokang region became a major base because it lies along a loosely governed border and has been affected by civil war since the 2021 coup. Weak control created space for criminal groups to build compounds, recruit workers, and target victims across borders. The region's location also connects it closely to China and Southeast Asia.

Experts say Myanmar's military has long turned a blind eye to the scam centers. Profits are believed to reach militia allies, which are important collaborators in the military's fight against rebels. This alleged protection helped criminal networks operate openly enough to build sprawling compounds and recruit large numbers of people.

China has pressured Myanmar's military to shut the centers because Chinese citizens are both workers and targets. The pressure has produced greater regional cooperation against the industry, but the article indicates that scam operations have spread internationally. Kokang's experience shows how conflict and weak governance can help organized crime grow.

Recruitment often begins with an attractive job offer. The Wei gang reportedly lured large numbers of Chinese people to Myanmar by promising high wages. Such offers can hide the real work and the danger waiting inside the compounds. Other workers knowingly join because they see online fraud as a source of income.

Some foreign nationals are trafficked after being tricked into accepting work. Once inside, they may be held in prison-like compounds and made to conduct online scams. The article describes remains of victims found with iron chains and bullet holes in their skulls, showing the extreme violence connected with some operations.

This mixed workforce makes scam centers difficult to understand as simple groups of willing fraudsters. They include criminal organizers, voluntary participants, and coerced victims. The U.N. estimates that hundreds of thousands of people work in scam centers globally, while the industry continues spreading across regions and drawing workers from Southeast Asia and China.

The consequences reach far beyond stolen money. Victims lose money to romance, business, and telecommunications scams. Workers can be deceived, confined, and forced to commit fraud. CCTV reported finding victims' remains with iron chains and bullet holes, showing that some compounds are brutally violent.

The Wei gang illustrates the damage. Its activities allegedly included fraud, drug trafficking, prostitution, illegal casinos, and the murder of at least two Chinese citizens. Its operations made more than 12.2 billion yuan. Experts also believe profits from Myanmar's centers go to militia allies, linking scam income to armed groups and political instability.

Countries face a cross-border problem because operators, workers, and victims may be in different places. China has increased cooperation with Southeast Asian nations and pressured Myanmar to act. Yet the industry has spread to several continents, so prosecutions and shutdowns in one region may not end the wider business.

The global model rests on three connected conditions. Internet access lets criminals contact victims across borders through messages, calls, and online platforms. Criminal networks provide recruitment, money movement, and organized compounds. Weak government control allows those operations to survive, especially in conflict zones such as Myanmar's loosely governed border.

The mechanism is visible in Kokang. The Wei gang allegedly ran 14 compounds, recruited people with fake wage offers, and used workers to conduct telecommunications fraud. Targets could be in China, the United States, or elsewhere, while organizers and workers remained in Myanmar. This separation makes enforcement harder and expands the pool of victims.

The result is a growing international business. The U.N. warned that Chinese and Southeast Asian gangs earn tens of billions of dollars each year, with hundreds of thousands working in centers worldwide. The spread to Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and other regions means governments will need sustained cross-border cooperation.