Northern Myanmar criminal group on trial in China over killings, telecom fraud

SHENZHEN -- A court in southern China has tried 21 members of a criminal group that operates in northern Myanmar on charges including fraud, intentional homicide, intentional injury, kidnapping, extortion, operating casinos, organizing and forcing prostitution, illegal detention, and drug smuggling and manufacturing.

The first-instance trial of the main lawsuit concerning the criminal gang took place from Sept 19 to 22 at the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong province.

The Shenzhen People's Procuratorate charged the members of the gang, which is headed by Bay Saw Chain and Bay Yin Chin, of taking advantage of the influence that the Bay family holds in the Kokang region of Myanmar to build 41 compounds, and of providing armed protection to people operating illegal businesses there since August 2009.

The gang was accused of conspiring with the people it protected to commit crimes such as telecom fraud, intentional homicide, intentional injury, kidnapping, extortion, operating casinos, organizing illegal border crossings, and organizing and forcing prostitution, which left six Chinese citizens dead and more injured. Its gambling- and fraud-related funds exceeded 20 billion yuan (about $2.8 billion), according to the procuratorate.

Bay Yin Chin also colluded with others to smuggle and manufacture approximately 11 tonnes of methamphetamine, it said.

The verdict will be announced at a later date.

More than 100 people attended the hearings, including deputies to people's congresses, political advisers, relatives of defendants and members of the public.