China’s Shenzhen People’s Procuratorate has filed charges against 21 alleged ringleaders of a sprawling telecom-fraud syndicate that operated from armed compounds in northern Myanmar’s Kokang region. Prosecutors say the group, headed by Bai Suocheng, ran at least 41 scam and gambling centers, orchestrated more than 31,000 fraud cases involving 10.6 billion yuan (about US$1.48 billion) and produced some 11 tonnes of narcotics. The indictment lists counts of fraud, illegal casino operations, intentional homicide and drug manufacturing after an investigation that linked the syndicate to the deaths of six Chinese citizens. The prosecution follows a second ministerial-level meeting of China, Myanmar and Thailand on 5 July in Nay Pyi Taw, where the three nations agreed to “dismantle all telecom-scam compounds” in Myawaddy and other border hubs. China’s Ministry of Public Security said that cooperation this year has already led to the capture and repatriation of more than 5,400 Chinese nationals suspected of participating in telecom fraud schemes based in Myawaddy. Beijing launched its cross-border crackdown on northern-Myanmar fraud operations in 2023. Combined police actions to date have taken more than 57,000 suspects into custody and, according to Chinese officials, wiped out the largest scam centers along the border. Authorities in the three countries say continued joint operations are intended to curb the transnational networks that predominantly target Chinese citizens through online and phone scams.