Chinese police dismantle transnational fraud ring with 257 suspects detained　

BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have dismantled a transnational fraud ring that allegedly targeted many elderly people, leading to the arrest of 257 suspects in China and three Southeast Asian countries, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Wednesday.

Since July, police in northeast China's Jilin Province have arrested 101 suspects under the MPS' direction. Through international law enforcement cooperation with police in Laos, Singapore and Cambodia, another 156 suspects were apprehended, the ministry said.

The suspects have been successively escorted back to China, it added.

Jilin police first identified the alleged fraud ring in January after an investigation found that the gang had fabricated investment projects, hired technology teams to develop fraudulent mobile applications, and used online platforms to attract potential victims and recruit members.

The gang allegedly targeted elderly people over an extended period, resulting in numerous victims and more than 6 billion yuan (about 888 million U.S. dollars) in suspected funds, according to the ministry.

The case marked the latest progress in China's efforts to strengthen cross-border law enforcement against telecom and online fraud.

On Monday, the MPS announced that Chinese and Malagasy police have carried out their first joint operation targeting telecom and online fraud, dismantling multiple criminal dens in the Malagasy capital Antananarivo and other areas.

In recent years, China has strengthened law enforcement cooperation with more than 30 countries, including Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Myanmar, to combat cross-border telecom and cyber fraud, developing cooperation mechanisms and achieving results in joint efforts against these crimes.

Since 2023, China and Myanmar have conducted joint operations that led to the dismantling of four major criminal gangs in Myanmar's Kokang region. Earlier this year, police authorities from China, the United States and the United Arab Emirates conducted their first joint law enforcement operation, resulting in the arrest of 276 suspects.

Cooperation with Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other countries has also led to the arrest and repatriation of more than 20,000 telecom and online fraud suspects this year.

Earlier this month, China initiated the International Alliance Combating Telecom and Cyber Fraud, with 46 founding member countries. The alliance is an intergovernmental organization designed to promote cooperation among law enforcement agencies in tackling transnational telecom and cyber fraud and related crimes.