China Executes 11 Convicted of Internet Fraud and Criminal Activity Abroad

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ASIA/PACIFIC 29.01.26
Among those executed were "key members" involved in telecommunications fraud.

Chinese authorities on Thursday executed 11 individuals linked to criminal gangs in Myanmar, including "key members" of rings involved in telecommunications fraud.

According to state media reports, these so-called "fraud centers" have developed in Myanmar's border territories and are part of an illegal, billion-dollar industry.

These centers typically employ foreigners — many of them Chinese — with several stating they were victims of human trafficking and forced to defraud users online.

Strengthening Cooperation with Southeast Asian Countries

In recent years, China has intensified its cooperation with Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia to combat online fraud centers.

As a result, tens of thousands of crime suspects have been extradited.

Last year, China's Ministry of Public Security stated that more than 7,600 Chinese nationals suspected of online gambling and fraud were repatriated from Myawaddy, a town on Myanmar's southeastern border with Thailand.

Earlier this month, Cambodia proceeded with the extradition of Chinese tycoon Chen Ou Zhi, who the US says presides over a conglomerate that serves as a front for a multi-billion-dollar cyber fraud network.

Convictions and Executions

The 11 had been sentenced to death in September by a court in the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou, according to the Xinhua news agency, which reported that the same court carried out the executions.

The crimes for which they were convicted included "intentional homicide, intentional infliction of serious bodily harm, illegal detention, fraud, and operating a casino," according to the announcement.

The death sentences had been approved by the Supreme People's Court in Beijing, which ruled that the evidence for crimes committed since 2015 was "irrefutable and sufficient."

Among those executed were members of the so-called "Ming family criminal group," whose activities had contributed to the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens and the injury of "many others."