Chinese courts sentenced three members of a Myanmar-based criminal syndicate to death on Oct. 13 over crimes including murder and fraud linked to scam compounds in the country’s Kokang region.
Wei Huairen, Chen Dawei and Liao Jingfang received death sentences in the Wei family criminal syndicate case. Three other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while 55 received prison terms ranging from three years and three months to 24 years.
The courts found that the groups used the family’s influence and armed forces to establish criminal compounds and protect operators involved in telecommunications fraud, illegal gambling, extortion, organized prostitution and drug trafficking. Gambling and fraud-related funds exceeded 12.2 billion yuan, equivalent to approximately ₱115 billion at Oct. 16 exchange rates.
The court findings detailed killings that left four Chinese citizens dead. Syndicate members worked with fraud operators to kill two people who refused to obey rules inside the compounds. Chen Dawei separately used armed forces under his control to carry out killings that left two others dead.
The Wei syndicate was among the powerful criminal networks operating in northern Myanmar, where trafficked workers have faced confinement, beatings and forced participation in online scams. Its political and military connections helped protect its operations.
The verdict follows China’s execution of 11 members of the Ming criminal gang in January and four members of the Bai criminal gang in February, following convictions involving crimes such as fraud, murder and kidnapping.
Online fraud, one of the crimes prosecuted in the Wei syndicate case, also ranks among the most reported cybercrimes in the Philippines. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center recorded 4,243 online fraud complaints in 2025. It also reported ₱418.187 million in losses across consumer fraud, online fraud, hacking and phishing during the year.
