China charges Myanmar Golden Triangle syndicate suspects with murder and telecoms fraud
The 39 suspects include 16 Myanmese nationals and members of the notorious Ming family, which operated in the border region of Kokang
Criminal gangs are accused of luring hundreds of thousands of people to cross the border into Myanmar and then forcing them to take part in telecoms scams in the so-called Golden Triangle.
Myanmese authorities have handed over more than 31,000 telecoms fraud suspects to China since law enforcement officers from both countries started targeting cross-border gangs in September last year.
Crime syndicates are believed to have made millions of US dollars a day from the scams, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Last year Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the authorities believed that up to 100,000 people in one city alone – Myawaddy on the border between Myanmar and Thailand – were involved in telecoms fraud.
The latest charges, filed in the eastern province of Zhejiang, involve 39 people, 16 of whom are citizens of Myanmar. They are accused of offences that include murder, fraud, unlawful detention, organised gambling and prostitution, and drug trafficking.
