A court in China delivered harsh sentences on Monday against a transnational criminal network linked to illegal activities in neighboring Myanmar. In total, 16 individuals were sentenced to death for their involvement in a gang engaged in cyber fraud, drug trafficking, prostitution, and illegal gambling in the Kokang region. Of these, five received a two-year suspension of their executions, opening the possibility of commutation in the future. 

In addition, another 23 defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five years to life imprisonment. According to the Wenzhou court in Zhejiang Province, investigations proved that the organization, led by members of the same family, had been operating since 2015 in Kokang, a conflict-ridden region of Myanmar near the Chinese border. Exploiting the absence of strong state authority, the gang set up cybercrime hubs where large-scale online fraud was conducted, often forcing foreigners—many of them Chinese nationals—to participate under coercion and threats.

The verdict not only addressed economic crimes and drug-related offenses but also highlighted the violence associated with the group’s operations. The court held the gang directly responsible for the deaths of 14 people, ten of whom lost their lives while attempting to escape from the fraud centers or resisting the gang leaders’ orders. These incidents were considered aggravating factors, leading to the imposition of the harshest penalties available under Chinese law.

The ruling reflects China’s growing crackdown on criminal networks operating along its border with Myanmar, a territory plagued by civil war and instability that has enabled the flourishing of illicit enterprises. Chinese authorities have repeatedly emphasized that they will not tolerate the use of border regions as safe havens for organized crime and have pledged to intensify cooperation with neighboring countries to eradicate such practices.

With this decision, the Chinese judiciary sends a clear and forceful message: those who lead or participate in cybercrime, exploitation, and violence in the border region will face the maximum penalties under the law.