Chinese judicial authorities have launched an unprecedented offensive against transnational telecommunications fraud syndicates, achieving significant breakthroughs in dismantling criminal networks operating from northern Myanmar. According to the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP), prosecutors charged over 62,000 individuals for telecom fraud-related offenses during the first eleven months of 2025, marking a substantial escalation in China’s battle against organized cybercrime.
The crackdown yielded particularly stark results in cases involving suspects repatriated from northern Myanmar, where authorities approved arrests of more than 4,300 individuals and prosecuted over 11,000 repatriated persons. Judicial outcomes have been severe, with courts delivering death sentences with immediate execution to 16 defendants across two major criminal syndicates. An additional seven received death sentences with two-year reprieves, while sixteen others were sentenced to life imprisonment, creating what officials characterize as a powerful deterrent against cross-border criminal activities.
Du Xueyi, head of the SPP’s economic crime prosecution department, emphasized that these cases demonstrate China’s lawful exercise of judicial jurisdiction over serious cross-border crimes, including those orchestrated by foreign nationals. “The cases have effectively upheld China’s rule-of-law authority and delivered positive political, legal, social and international outcomes,” Du stated, highlighting the government’s determination to safeguard citizens’ lives and property.
Beyond targeting primary fraud operators, prosecutors have systematically dismantled supporting infrastructure, charging more than 29,000 individuals with assisting information network criminal activities between January and November 2025. Asset recovery has emerged as a critical component of the strategy, with authorities intensifying efforts to trace, seize, and recover illicit assets including funds, real estate, vehicles, and precious metals. International law enforcement cooperation has been strengthened to pursue overseas illicit proceeds.
The multifaceted approach includes encouraging voluntary restitution, applying leniency policies where appropriate, and exploring confiscation procedures for illegal gains to maximize recovery of victims’ losses. Recognizing the evolving nature of telecom fraud, authorities have refined judicial standards, with the SPP issuing updated guidance on conviction and sentencing standards for network crime facilitation.
Notably, telecom fraud increasingly intersects with money laundering operations. Prosecutors charged 2,684 defendants with money laundering and over 93,000 individuals for concealing criminal proceeds during the same period, with many cases linked to telecom fraud and online gambling. Approximately 94% of money laundering cases connect to upstream offenses in finance, drugs, or corruption, while over 60% of criminal proceeds concealment cases relate directly to telecom fraud schemes.
Looking ahead to 2026, prosecutorial authorities will prioritize combating sophisticated money laundering schemes, underground banking, virtual currency laundering, and cross-border financial crimes, alongside enhanced international cooperation on asset recovery. China has actively promoted global collaboration through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, including participation in negotiations for the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, which it signed in October 2025.