{
  "id": 14188725,
  "title": "China sentences to death Myanmar scam clan members",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/china-sentences-to-death-myanmar-scam-clan-members-14188725",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T09:44:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press - China",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press-china",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/10/13/china-sentences-to-death-myanmar-scam-clan-members/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Chinese court sentenced three members of the Wei family criminal gang to death on Tuesday for their role in running a network of scam centers in Myanmar’s Kokang region bordering China. The court, the Quanzhou Intermediate People’s Court, also jailed 55 more gang members and handed down life sentences to three others. The Wei clan, described by China’s state broadcaster as the \"most violent criminal force in northern Myanmar\", allegedly operated 14 large-scale scam compounds and lured Chinese nationals with false promises of high wages. The gang was involved in drug trafficking, prostitution, illegal casinos, telecommunications fraud, and the murder of at least two Chinese citizens. Wei Huairen, identified as one of the leaders, was found guilty of several crimes including murder. The gang’s operations generated more than 12.2 billion yuan ($1.8 billion). The indictment against the Wei family began in October 2025, and in January 2025, China executed 11 people from another criminal family, the Ming clan, for similar offenses.",
  "summary": "A Chinese court sentenced three members of a criminal gang to death on Tuesday for operating a network of brutal scam centres in Myanmar’s Kokang region on the border with China, while jailing dozens more. China has stepped up cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to crack down on a vast industry that has flourished in […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "China sentences to death Myanmar scam clan members",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/china-sentences-to-death-myanmar-scam-clan-members",
        "published": "2026-10-13T09:44:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "China sentences 3 people to death for running scam centers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/china-sentences-3-people-to-death-for-running-scam-centers",
        "published": "2026-10-13T10:53:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Convicted Myanmar citizens must serve sentences before repatriation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/convicted-myanmar-citizens-must-serve-sentences-before-repatriation",
        "published": "2026-10-13T12:40:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}