On Thursday, a Chinese court upheld the original convictions and sentences for key members of a criminal group led by Xu Faqi, involved in scams targeting Chinese citizens in northern Myanmar.

The Chongqing No 5 Intermediate People's Court had initially sentenced Xu, the group's leader, to death with a two-year reprieve for six crimes, including fraud and intentional injury. The other four members received sentences ranging from 14 years to life imprisonment, based on their individual actions and the harm caused to society.

Three of the defendants appealed to the Chongqing High People's Court, which, after review, upheld the original decision. The high court found that the facts of the case were clear, the evidence sufficient, and the convictions and sentences appropriate, with accurate application of the law and proper legal procedures followed.

According to the original ruling, since 2019, the criminal organization led by Xu, with Luo Yujun as its armed head, leveraged Xu's local influence in Kokang, northern Myanmar, to collaborate with telecom fraud gangs. They set up several scam operations, amassing illegal profits exceeding 1.1 billion yuan ($162 million).

Xu's group provided armed protection for these operations and collaborated with scammers to intentionally harm those involved in fraud who disobeyed orders, resulting in one death and one minor injury. Xu was also found to have been involved in other crimes, including smuggling and drug trafficking.

In recent years, Chinese authorities have intensified crackdowns on telecom fraud, particularly cross-border operations in northern Myanmar. Official data released in March showed that about 69,000 people were prosecuted for telecom fraud in 2025, with 16 defendants linked to Myanmar-based family syndicates receiving death sentences.