Trendpills
A court in China has sentenced five people to death for their leadership roles in violent criminal gangs operating extensive fraud centers in the Kokang region of northern Myanmar. The sentencing marks a significant escalation in Beijing's campaign to dismantle the rampant multibillion-dollar scam industry flourishing along its southern border.
The individuals sentenced include prominent figures from powerful local families, such as Bai Suocheng, Wei Huairen, and Liu Zhengxiang, who were convicted on charges ranging from organizing criminal syndicates to murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery. These syndicates have been accused of running so-called "scam compounds," where thousands of people, many of whom were trafficked, were forced to carry out online scams targeting victims globally. According to reports, these operations represent a massive illicit industry that has thrived in Myanmar's lawless borderlands.
This latest verdict is part of a broader, aggressive crackdown by Chinese authorities. In recent months, Beijing has increased pressure on Myanmar's ruling junta and collaborated with ethnic armed groups to dismantle the networks. This cooperation has led to the repatriation of over 40,000 suspects to China to face justice. The operation has effectively disrupted the power base of several warlord families who had long controlled the region and provided protection for these criminal enterprises.
These are not the first severe penalties handed down in the campaign. In September, a Chinese court sentenced 11 other individuals connected to a different family-run scam syndicate, some also receiving the death penalty. The extensive effort to bring these infamous scam mafia members to justice underscores Beijing's low tolerance for the operations, which have caused immense financial and human suffering. State media highlighted that the gangs engaged in extreme violence, including intentional injury and illegal detention, to maintain control over their trafficked workforce. The sentences serve as a powerful deterrent and signal a major shift in the stability and criminal landscape of the China-Myanmar border region, a development confirmed by multiple sources covering the death sentences in China.
