Suspected telecom fraudsters transferred from Laos

The Ministry of Public Security announced on Wednesday that 268 telecom fraud suspects were recently transferred to China from Laos.

The suspects were involved in more than 1,570 cases across multiple regions nationwide. Among them, eight were suspected of being masterminds behind the scenes, and 54 were suspected of being key organizers of fraud groups. The cases are under further investigation, the ministry said.

In September, law enforcement authorities in Laos transferred 179 telecom fraud suspects to China, helping resolve about 270 major transnational telecom fraud cases, according to the ministry.

A statement from the ministry said that several significant telecom fraud cases have occurred in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and other places since last year. The ministry listed the cases for special oversight and organized local public security organs to conduct in-depth analysis and investigation.

The police found that multiple transnational telecom network groups operating in Laos were linked to over a thousand cases.

In January, the ministry dispatched a working group composed of police officers from public security organs in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong, Chongqing and other places to Laos to engage in law enforcement cooperation. With support and coordination from China's embassy in Laos, significant progress was made, it said.

On Jan 21, law enforcement authorities in Laos, with the support of the working group, raided multiple fraud dens in Laos, arresting 154 suspects involved in fraud and seizing over 2,000 mobile phones and more than 400 computers.

Subsequently, based on leads provided by the working group, police in Laos apprehended another 114 suspects involved in fraud in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.

The 268 criminal suspects and related physical evidence were transferred to China through the Xishuangbanna border port in Yunnan province.

An officer from the ministry said public security departments have continued to intensify efforts to combat transnational telecom fraud crimes.

While achieving significant victories in cracking down on telecom fraud operations based in northern Myanmar, the ministry has also dispatched working groups to the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, the United Arab Emirates and other countries for international law enforcement cooperation.

After multiple crackdowns, a large number of suspects involved in such crimes have been apprehended. Public security departments will continue to deepen law enforcement cooperation with other countries and regions, and resolutely curb transnational telecom fraud, the officer said.

According to the ministry, law enforcement authorities in Myanmar transferred over 44,000 telecom fraud suspects to China over the past year, including 171 backbone members of fraud groups and 2,908 people wanted by Chinese police.