China executes 11 criminals linked to Myanmar-based gangs

China executed 11 criminals from gangs based in northern Myanmar that included key members of telecom fraud groups, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday.

The 11 were sentenced to death in September and the executions were carried out by a court in Wenzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang, Xinhua reported without sharing more details about the criminals.

In recent years, China has stepped up collaboration with Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia to crack down on rampant online “scam centre” operations in the region.

As a result, tens of thousands of criminal suspects have been repatriated, transnational organised crime experts say.

Last year, China’s Public Security Ministry said more than 7,600 Chinese nationals suspected of online gambling and telecom fraud were repatriated from Myawaddy Township, located along the Myanmar-Thailand border in Karen State.

Earlier this month, Cambodia extradited to China tycoon Chen Zhi, who the U.S. says chairs a conglomerate that is a front for a multi-billion-dollar cyber scam network.

REUTERS