3 Myanmar syndicate members sentenced to death

Sixty-one members of a family-run criminal syndicate based in northern Myanmar were sentenced by Chinese courts in Fujian province on Tuesday for crimes that led to the deaths of four Chinese nationals.

The Quanzhou Intermediate People's Court and the Nan'an court handed down sentences to members of the syndicate led by Wai San, convicting them of seven crimes, including intentional homicide and fraud.

Three of the defendants were sentenced to death, while three others received life imprisonment. The remaining 55 were given prison terms ranging from three years and three months to 24 years, according to the courts. Additional penalties included fines, confiscation of property and deportation, depending on each defendant's role, the circumstances of their crimes and the harm they caused to society.

The courts found that, since 2019, Wai San and his associates had exploited their influence in Kokang, northern Myanmar, to establish several compounds backed by financiers and armed forces. The compounds were used to carry out telecom fraud targeting Chinese citizens, as well as other criminal activities, including illegal border crossings, prostitution, casino operations, drug trafficking and extortion. The total amount involved in these crimes exceeded 12.2 billion yuan ($1.82 billion).

The syndicate also colluded with telecom fraud gangs operating in the compounds to kill people who resisted their control, resulting in the deaths of two Chinese nationals. In addition, an armed group led by one of Wai San's associates committed further murders that claimed the lives of two more Chinese citizens, the courts said.

China has stepped up its campaign against telecom fraud, particularly cross-border operations, following significant progress over the past year.

In September, a court in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, sentenced 11 members of another criminal syndicate from northern Myanmar, including Mg Myin Shaunt Phyin and Ma Thiri Maung, to death for various crimes.

The Wenzhou court found that the syndicate had operated in the Kokang region since 2015, establishing an armed faction and engaging in criminal activities that resulted in the deaths of 14 Chinese nationals and injuries to six others. The group also amassed more than 10 billion yuan in illicit gains from gambling and fraud. The 11 defendants were executed earlier this year after the Supreme People's Court approved their death sentences.

In November, a court in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, sentenced five members of another notorious syndicate, led by Bay Saw Chain and Bay Yin Chin, to death. The group was found guilty of exploiting its influence and armed forces in northern Myanmar to establish 41 compounds for telecom fraud and other criminal activities. Its operations resulted in the deaths of six Chinese nationals and injuries to several others. Following the ruling, Bay Saw Chain died of an illness, while the remaining four defendants were executed in February.

Separately, another family involved in telecom fraud in northern Myanmar is currently facing judicial proceedings.