Police officers escort telecommunications fraud suspects from a charted plane arriving from Laos at the Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport in Henan Province on September 11, 2023. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Since August this year, the number of telecom fraud cases and property loss had decreased by 24 percent and 20.5 percent year-on-year respectively. By the end of September, 387 key leaders of telecom fraud groups had been arrested, Wang Zhizhong, vice minister of public security, said at a news conference on Tuesday, adding that China will resolutely curb the high incidence of telecom fraud crimes.

At present, the overall situation of telecom network fraud crime remains grim, Wang stated, adding that public security organs nationwide will keep ahead of new developments of the situation faced by telecom fraud and promote the fight against related crimes constantly to a new level.

According to the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, since the launch of the public security crackdown on June 25, the Beijing public security has cracked down on more than 16,000 cases.   

A total of more than 4,500 cases of telecommunications and internet fraud were addressed, and more than 60 criminal dens were destroyed. In particular, 132 suspects involved in nude chat extortion and telecom fraud were escorted back to China, creating a strong deterrent.

Since the beginning of 2023, the frequent occurrence and significant losses caused by telecom fraud cases related to false investment and financial management schemes have caused public concern in China. Therefore, China and Southeast Asian countries have vowed to protect people from gambling fraud and related crimes through special joint operations.

To combat cross-border telecom fraud, police forces across China, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos also launched a special joint operation, with the aim of combating telecommunications fraud and online gambling crimes, according to media reports.

Earlier, 2,317 telecom fraud suspects from northern Myanmar have been successfully captured and handed over to China after sustained and effective crackdowns, including 23 behind-the-scenes "financial backers," organizational leaders, and core members, along with 94 fugitives listed online. 

Public security authorities will thoroughly investigate all available evidence, while cracking down on fraud, and they will deeply seek to disrupt associated crimes within the domestic markets, ensuring a comprehensive crackdown and strict legal punishment.

High pressure on cross-border crimes, telecom fraud in particular, has significantly disrupted space for overseas fraud activity, and the number of telecom and internet fraud cases in China has shown a clear declining trend in recent days.

Since 2022, procuratorial organs across the country have prosecuted telecommunications fraud and associated accused individuals in a strict and full manner in accordance with the law, prosecuting over 50,000 people for telecommunications fraud and over 30,000 people for illegally crossing borders.

Public security organs use the early warning system to push 310 million early warning instructions to all parts of the country to prevent the occurrence of fraud cases to the maximum extent, so as to protect the property safety of the public.

Global Times