China sentences three people to death for running Myanmar scam centres

By Al Jazeera Staff and AFP. Published On 13 Oct 202613 Oct 2026.

Key points

• While 55 others were handed sentences ranging from three years and three months to 24 years in prison, three other members were jailed for life.
• Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday described the gang as operating 14 "large-scale" compounds and having lured "thousands" of Chinese nationals with promises of high wages to Myanmar.
• A court in eastern China has sentenced three members of a criminal gang to death for operating a network of scam centres in Myanmar.
• The verdict comes as Beijing intensified its crackdown on cross-border scam networks operating in southeast Asia, where scam parks have become an industrial-scale business.
• The syndicate was involved in crimes including drug trafficking, organised prostitution, illegal casino operations, telecommunications fraud and the murder of at least two Chinese nationals.

Notably, a court in eastern China has sentenced three members of a criminal gang to death for operating a network of scam centres in Myanmar.

In an official note published on Tuesday, Quanzhou Intermediate People's Court, a high court in southeastern Fujian province, stated it had sentenced Wei Huairen, Chen Dawei and Liao Jingfang for their involvement in the "Wei family criminal gang".

For context, the syndicate was involved in crimes including drug trafficking, organised prostitution, illegal casino operations, telecommunications fraud and the murder of at least two Chinese nationals.

Notably, the court remarked Wei was one of the group's leaders and was identified guilty of a number of crimes, including murder.

While 55 others were handed sentences ranging from three years and three months to 24 years in prison, three other members were jailed for life. The court remarked the gang's operations netted more than $1.8bn.

Notably, the verdict comes as Beijing intensified its crackdown on cross-border scam networks operating in southeast Asia, where scam parks have become an industrial-scale business.

Notably, the International Organization for Migration in July cautioned that scam centres in southeast Asia employ as numerous as 300, 000 workers and employ online schemes to defraud residents in the West, plenty of of them elderly.

Plenty of of those conducting the online scams are trafficked foreign nationals forced to work in prison-like compounds.

Taken together, the developments around china sentences three people to death for running Myanmar scam centres point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.