The investigations of five major trans-border telecom fraud cases have been placed under the joint oversight of the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security, sending a strong signal that China will punish such crimes severely.

The cases were registered in Zhejiang, Fujian, Henan and Hunan provinces, as well as Chongqing municipality, and each involve a large number of victims and caused severe harm to the public, the SPP said on Tuesday.

In one case, police in Zhejiang studied evidence against overseas telecom fraud gangs in December 2020 and uncovered a group entrenched in Cambodia.

The preliminary investigation showed that the group set up a false investment platform overseas to defraud Chinese citizens. So far, more than 400 people from the group or associated with the group have been arrested, involving a total fraud of over 150 million yuan ($23.6 million).

In recent years, procuratorial and public security organs have worked closely to crack down on telecom fraud and related crimes, effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the people. However, there is still a high incidence of such crimes, which seriously affects people's sense of security, the SPP said.

Criminals will be targeted regardless of whether they are based locally or overseas, with both online and offline efforts to be explored by procuratorial and public security authorities.

Authorities are committed to capturing and cracking down on key financiers of such criminal groups and relevant criminals, and to the capture, extradition and repatriation of fraud fugitives on the run overseas, according to the SPP.

People who provide criminal groups with personal information, technical support, payment and settlement assistance are also targets.

In a solemn warning, the authorities urged criminals staying abroad to forget about evading punishment and return to China to turn themselves in as soon as possible.

China Daily - Xinhua