Overview

• The Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court announced the Sept 29 verdicts against a family-run syndicate active since 2015 in Myanmar's Kokang border region.
• Five of the 16 death sentences carry two-year reprieves, and 23 additional defendants received prison terms ranging from five years to life.
• Judges cited 14 killings, including victims who tried to escape, and an October 2023 episode in which the group opened fire to stop transfers back to China.
• The gang's operations spanned cyber fraud, drug trafficking, prostitution, and casinos, generated more than 10 billion yuan, and offered armed protection to financial backers.
• Chinese authorities report expanded regional cooperation and ongoing repatriations, as UN assessments warn of hundreds of thousands forced into global scam centers generating tens of billions of dollars.